Power Play
by Stormy1x2
Summary: Xover w/Yu Yu Hakusho - Yuusuke and co. must help Kagome reassemble the Shikon before Yakumo finds her
1. Default Chapter

This is my first attempt at an IY fic, and I made it a crossover with  
  
YYH to boot. ^^ Well, it does work and you'll see why if ya give it a  
  
chance. ^^  
  
  
  
Title: Power Play  
  
Author: Stormy  
  
Feedback: Yes please! dingostorm @ hotmail.com (remove courtesy  
  
spaces)  
  
Archive: My site: http//stormyfics.homestead.com/fanfics.html  
  
Additional archiving: Morgan already knows she has my permission.  
  
Anyone else, please ask me first.  
  
Pairings:  
  
Obvious: Inuyasha/Kagome, Yuusuke/Keiko, Hiei/Kurama  
  
Hints of/Mention of: Miroku/Sango, Kuwabara/Yukina, Koenma/Botan  
  
Notes: This is my first attempt at an Inuyasha/Yu Yu Hakusho  
  
crossover.  
  
- Inuyasha: I tried to keep the timeline up until episode 48; from  
  
there it branches off.  
  
- YYH: Takes place after the series, the team is still together.  
  
  
  
Some things to know:  
  
The fic uses a lot of references from the shows, but you can get the  
  
idea of both in the fic. I tried to include enough background to make  
  
it understandable without it being over-powering. If you have the  
  
second YYH movie, you might want to watch it again to get the  
  
references – I used Yakumo and the power sphere as the basis for this  
  
fic. Again, that's only a suggestion - I think I made it clear enough  
  
to be understood without additional research.  
  
Rating: PG-13 for now. Rating is subject to change with future  
  
chapters.  
  
Warnings: shonen ai alert with Hiei and Kurama, mild language,  
  
mention of wandering hands courtesy of our favourite priest Miroku!  
  
Warnings subject to change with future chapters.  
  
  
  
I think that's everything! If you have any questions, please feel  
  
free to email me. And even if you don't have any questions, email me  
  
anyway – I love feedback. ^^ Also, this was beta'd by the wonderful  
  
Mina Lightstar who generously agreed to read this for me, even though  
  
she had no prior knowledge of Inuyasha. **Hugs Mina** Any mistakes  
  
found from this point on are mine alone.  
  
  
  
  
  
IY/YYH X-over  
  
  
  
  
  
Long ago and far away, Japan was a place of beauty, with  
  
rolling hills, lush with vegetation, and pockets of villages  
  
scattered throughout the countryside. Depicted in scrolls and tales  
  
of old, it was a time when anything was possible, a time believed to  
  
have magic and mystery beyond anything one could ever imagine.  
  
Feudal Japan also had its dangers that accompanied the  
  
fanciful dreams, however, for not all magical and spiritual energy  
  
was good. The ancient times were believed to be filled with dangerous  
  
and evil demons, cruel creatures known as youkai that ran rampant,  
  
killing and feasting on human flesh. During that time, a mystical  
  
object appeared on the mortal realm. Believed to be a gift of power  
  
from the gods, it was taken back to a small village, where it resided  
  
in a warded shrine, being served by its priestess, or miko. The miko  
  
was chosen in every generation to guard the object with their lives,  
  
using its power for good, to purify it against those who would  
  
corrupt its power and use it for their own personal gain. They called  
  
it, the Shikon no Tama, and to be chosen as its Guardian was  
  
considered to be the highest honour a young girl could receive.  
  
Until one day, the Shikon no Tama was stolen by a half-  
  
demon. The Shikon's miko was gravely wounded but still managed to  
  
seal away whom she thought was the thief using an arrow, enchanted  
  
with her magic. The Shikon no Tama was then burned with the body of  
  
the miko, who died as a result of her injuries.  
  
Hundreds of years later, the priestess was  
  
reincarnated and she traveled back in time through an ancient well.  
  
Her incarnation brought forth the Shikon no Tama from her body back  
  
to the mortal realm. She freed the demon thief and then, during a  
  
battle with a crow youkai, shattered the Shikon no Tama across the  
  
land in thousands of pieces. Thus, the reincarnated Miko, Kagome,  
  
began her travels across the land with the half-youkai thief Inuyasha  
  
to reclaim the scattered shards. They faced many obstacles, many  
  
demons in their path, and made friends for life who joined them on  
  
their quest to recapture the missing pieces of the legendary orb of  
  
power.  
  
Still, no one really knew much of the orb's mysterious  
  
past, or of what true power lay within it. No one knew – nay, no one  
  
could ever possibly know that granting a heart's desire was the least  
  
of its power. The orb was a symbol of power for the gods and  
  
goddesses of the heavens above, though very few could ever hope to  
  
handle it without corruption. Its destruction by the foreign girl of  
  
the future, woke a sleeping beast that had been thought to be  
  
eradicated from existence.  
  
It was when the Shikon no Tama was nearly complete  
  
once more, that our story takes place.  
  
  
  
===============================================================  
  
  
  
Blackness surrounded and suffocated him. Floating endlessly  
  
on an empty sea of air and yet not air, the limbo tugged at him,  
  
trying to make him one of their own. His own will and power were too  
  
strong however, and the blackness could not drag him down into  
  
oblivion. Oh no. He was far too strong for that.  
  
He could feel It calling to him. The power he had once  
  
had so briefly in his possession after so many years of separation,  
  
once again called out to him.  
  
It was horrifying, almost nauseatingly pure, but that  
  
couldn't stop him, not forever. What was once corrupt could be so  
  
again. It was injured, not whole, and he snarled at the idea of  
  
someone destroying something that rightfully belonged to him.  
  
Experimentally, he sent a mental bolt of power to It, trying to  
  
establish the link he once had. Instead, he found a barricade and he  
  
seethed with impotent fury. Someone else had created a link with the  
  
power! The power that should have been his - HAD been his for so long!  
  
Deep in the blackness of space, something cracked.  
  
Anger rage, embarrassment, humiliation, the urge for revenge – all of  
  
these emotions swelled up, coalescing into a beam of black light,  
  
crackling with violet streaks of lightning that cut through the  
  
limbo. It had been so long…he could feel the power and the need to  
  
own it once again was more then the limbo could stand.  
  
It was once said fallen gods were those that, for one  
  
reason or another, had lost favour among their kind, and the  
  
punishment was banishment to the farthest reaches of space, into a  
  
timeless void from which they could never escape. It was the harshest  
  
punishment that could ever be bestowed upon an entity, a last resort  
  
that meant the end of an immortal being, since Death could not take  
  
an immortal life.  
  
The void sucked away the personality, the life-fire,  
  
the vigor, the hate, the love, and the light of the fallen one,  
  
turning them into an empty husk. But sometimes there was a fallen  
  
one whose hatred and need for revenge, could keep the darkness from  
  
absorbing it completely. When this happened, if the fallen one could  
  
somehow latch onto their lost power, it was possible for it to breach  
  
the void.  
  
This was a nearly impossible feat, since a god's  
  
powers were usually purified and dispersed among the other gods. But  
  
if a god's power was tangible, and still existed, the connection  
  
could, in theory, be made.  
  
The theory was about to be tested.  
  
The black light streamed out, unfettered, piercing the  
  
darkness of the void like it were made of rice paper and scattering  
  
it enough to allow the breach to be seen. One clawed hand reached  
  
out, and the black light spread out even further. A hoarse scream  
  
echoed across the vastness, soundless in the cold vacuum of space,  
  
yet sent a tremble across the galaxy. Pale lips parted and a guttural  
  
voice, unused to speech after so long, struggled to speak.  
  
"P-power…S-sphere……"  
  
  
  
===============================================================  
  
  
  
  
  
It came as no surprise to Koenma that it was raining  
  
outside when the news arrived in the form of a heavy stack of papers,  
  
unceremoniously dropped on to his massive desk by his servant. Dark,  
  
heavy clouds and thundering rain were often the prelude to ominous  
  
tidings. He let the curtain fall back into place from where he had  
  
been holding it back, not wanting to view the dismal weather any  
  
longer, and sat down at his desk. George stood silently before him.  
  
"You're sure, then."  
  
"Yes, my lord." George raised tired eyes to his  
  
master. Exhaustion had turned his normally blue countenance to a  
  
dusky gray. It had been a rough few days. "It has been confirmed. It  
  
has reappeared. And yes, he is after it."  
  
"I see." Koenma lowered his own eyes to his desktop.  
  
Other papers were piled up to one side, in a stack almost taller then  
  
he was. They were the papers of the dead, requiring his stamp of  
  
approval before they could go on to their just rewards. He could  
  
spend a month in his office, doing nothing but putting stamp to paper  
  
and still end up with more then he could ever do. It was his job, his  
  
calling in life.  
  
At this moment, doing his job was the furthest thing  
  
from his mind. He lifted his head with a sigh, resolutely setting his  
  
shoulders back. George watched him carefully, and cleared his throat.  
  
"My Lord. Shall I call Botan?"  
  
Koenma drummed his fingers on the desktop. His  
  
casualness would have made any passer-by think he had not heard the  
  
oni's words, but George knew better. He waited patiently, knowing  
  
Koenma would speak when he had finished formulating his thoughts on  
  
the subject. This was no light matter.  
  
Calling in Yuusuke and the Reikei Tantei would make his  
  
decision to involve them irreversible, and there was a good chance  
  
they could lose their lives. Despite his penchant for throwing the  
  
Tantei to the proverbial wolves in an effort to track down evil  
  
youkai, the young dark lord cared for the team he had assembled. His  
  
decision could not be made lightly.  
  
"How could this happen?" Koenma muttered to himself. "I  
  
thought we were rid of the damn thing. And what has happened in the  
  
past should not be affecting us now. Yet it is, and it is my  
  
responsibility to fix it." He scowled briefly. "Damn time portals.  
  
Had that damn thing never existed, we would not be in danger."  
  
His hands stilled on the desktop and he looked up at his  
  
faithful servant. Despite the fuukuman in his mouth and his tiny  
  
stature, his eyes were ancient, and his small hands shook slightly as  
  
he splayed his fingers against the polished oak of his desk. George  
  
waited.  
  
"Summon Botan," he said finally, hating the words as each  
  
left his mouth but knowing he had no other recourse.  
  
"My Lord." George bowed and turned to leave. Koenma's eyes  
  
snapped up as the oni passed through the heavy metal-worked door  
  
leading to his office. He resisted the urge he felt to call the oni  
  
back and tell him to cancel his request, knowing that he had to do  
  
what had to be done. It was part of his job, a legacy passed down to  
  
him from his father, and while he didn't like certain aspects of the  
  
job, it was still his, and his by right to do.  
  
A dull thud resounded as the door swung shut but, Koenma was  
  
already back at the window, pushing the drapes aside with one hand.  
  
Again, he studied the rain, fat cold droplets of water splattering  
  
against the window as thought trying to get to him, and he raised one  
  
hand, tracing the water as it trailed down the glass. The future was  
  
never set in stone, he knew, but the sense of unease sweeping over  
  
him made him edgy. Something wasn't right, and probably would never  
  
be so again.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"Maaa, Inuyasha!" Kagome sighed irritably, wiping her brow  
  
with on hand. "It's so hot and humid here - surely we can take a  
  
small break, ne?"  
  
"Weak humans," the half-demon muttered. At he front of their  
  
small group, picking out the trail for those not endowed with his  
  
senses, he glanced back with a scowl. " Fine. If we must make this  
  
journey longer then it has to be..."  
  
"Oh hush." Kagome grinned at the grumpy demon. " You have to  
  
be thirsty yourself - a short break will do us all good. And it's  
  
not like that demoness we're chasing is that far ahead right? She  
  
won't get away."  
  
Inuyasha shrugged and folded his arms, looking away. It was  
  
hot out, he allowed with some reluctance. Still, he had no intention  
  
of saying that out loud.  
  
Miroku, their young priest of a companion, clapped his hands  
  
together briskly and then reached for one of the bottles of water  
  
that Kagome handed out. She had brought them from her own time, and  
  
felt they were more sanitary then the calfskins and  
  
other...interesting containers they used. Beside him, the demon-  
  
huntress Sango shrugged out of the shoulder harness of her  
  
Hiroikotsu, nodding in thanks as a bottle was passed to her.  
  
Kagome giggled as the kitsune kit Shippo suddenly attached  
  
himself to her arm from the back of her bike rack.  
  
"Thank you, Kagome!"  
  
"You're welcome, Shippo-chan," she smiled fondly at the  
  
kit. "I knew you'd be thirsty too!" She ruffled the fluffy hair on  
  
his head, lightly scratching his ears until the little kit was nearly  
  
purring with pleasure.  
  
Inuyasha sniffed at the obvious affection Kagome bestowed  
  
upon the bothersome little imp. Not that he cared, of course. Not  
  
him at all--  
  
"Here!"  
  
Inuyasha squawked and nearly fell off his precarious perch on  
  
a rotting old tree stump at her sudden appearance. She held out a  
  
water bottle to him with a smile. He accepted it and twisted the top  
  
off with his claws.  
  
"Thanks," he mumbled in a low voice, before taking a drink.  
  
Kagome's smile grew even larger.  
  
"You're welcome, Inuyasha," she replied, before turning to go  
  
back to where the group was sprawled out across the grass.  
  
Inuyasha watched her go with hooded eyes. She was acting more  
  
friendly to him, at last. He sighed - it had been several weeks since  
  
he had last seen Kikyo. Her reanimated body, born of clay thanks to  
  
an old youkai's magic, and brought to life by separating of Kagome's  
  
soul and putting Kikyo's back into the clay, now sworn for revenge on  
  
Inuyasha for a crime he didn't commit. He had loved Kikyo, all those  
  
years ago. Both of them cold and hard, he jaded by life, she by her  
  
duties as a miko - an evil and powerful youkai named Naraku had  
  
caused them to believe the other had betrayed them, and their fragile  
  
trust and love was shattered. Still, Inuyasha felt responsible for  
  
Kikyo, alive in a time not her own, and it was only mere weeks ago  
  
that Kagome had caught him embracing Kiyo, determined to protect her  
  
like he couldn't all those years ago.  
  
It had caused undue stress on their team. Since Kagome had  
  
freed him from his imprisonment on the God-tree, he had come to think  
  
of her not as the reincarnation of Kikyo, but as Kagome, solely  
  
herself and unlike no other. She treated him with kindness even when  
  
he repaid her with cruel words. Her unwavering belief in him and his  
  
ability, and her solid trust that he would never harm her amazed him.  
  
Inuyasha fingered the hilt of his sword - that she had given him his  
  
father's weapon, a sword forged from his father's fang and concealed  
  
in Inuyasha's eye, had been an act of trust that he could scarcely  
  
believe. It had been a turning point in their barely-civil  
  
relationship, the start of what Inuyasha pinpointed as the beginning  
  
of his fledgling feelings for yet another mortal woman.  
  
He had fought it, of course. To give in to his heart and  
  
entrust its care with a human was something he never thought he could  
  
do again. His human mother had died, leaving him alone. Kikyo had  
  
believed him a traitor and sealed him away, choosing to die, rather  
  
then use the Shikon no Tama to save herself and perhaps discover the  
  
truth. If there was one thing Inuyasha had learned in his hard life,  
  
it was that betrayal was only a matter of time.  
  
Somehow though, Kagome had broken past his barriers with  
  
hardly any effort. She didn't expect anything more from him then what  
  
he was willing to give. He...cared for her.  
  
Inuyasha took another sip of water and watched the group  
  
through slit eyes, feigning sleep. Kagome was under his protection -  
  
the very thought of anything happening to her sent panic throughout  
  
him. She knew this, and he knew deep inside, that she knew he cared  
  
for her.  
  
Which was why he didn't blame her for being wary of him, even  
  
after they had come to a kind of understanding during the first few  
  
days after witnessing him in Kikyo's embrace. How could he explain  
  
that he still loved Kikyo, that a part of him always would - but that  
  
he now lo..lo...cared for her, too?  
  
"Life is confusing," he muttered. He had to protect Kikyo -  
  
he owed her that much - but he wanted Kagome. His mind was  
  
screaming "TWO-TIMER! TWO-TIMER!" and he winced, knowing it was  
  
true. "Damn."  
  
  
  
===============================================================  
  
  
  
Kagome relaxed for a minute, enjoying the sunshine on her  
  
face. The cold water had refreshed her, and from the looks on  
  
everyone's faces, they felt the same way. Shippo scampered up to her,  
  
holding his empty water bottle.  
  
"Kagome! There's a river nearby with fresh cold water. I'm  
  
gonna go refill mine - want me to bring yours?"  
  
"Thank you, Shippo-chan!" Kagome smiled. She glanced back at  
  
the rest of her group. " I'll come with you. Miroku? Sango?"  
  
Miroku tossed his empty bottle at her and made as if to  
  
stand. "I shall accompany you, Kagome-sama--"  
  
"You will do nothing of the kind," Sango said with a mild  
  
glare. "Come on Kagome."  
  
"No trust, no trust whatsoever," Miroku complained good-  
  
naturedly. He ducked the automatic swat Sango aimed at his head as  
  
she passed him. "And me being a priest. How sad."  
  
"Whatever," Inuyasha smirked. "A corrupt priest at that."  
  
"I take great offence at that remark," the young monk  
  
exclaimed. "I am the veritable pentagon of virtue."  
  
"You mean paragon," Kagome threw back over her shoulder as  
  
she and Sango disappeared around the corner. "And I wouldn't say  
  
that."  
  
"Wounded to the quick." Miroku grinned at Inuyasha. "A fiery  
  
one, she is. If I didn't know you'd slice me to shreds, I'd still be  
  
asking her to bear my child."  
  
"You STILL ask her to bear your child!" snarled Inuyasha. "  
  
Her and Sango! Why they don't just knock you over a mountain or  
  
something, I'll never understand."  
  
"Because no matter what, of the two of us, I still have the  
  
better manners," Miroku shrugged. "And ladies like to be made to feel  
  
special."  
  
"Che."  
  
The two fell into a comfortable silence, another fact that  
  
marvelled Inuyasha whenever he thought about it. After the death of  
  
his mother when he had been very small, he had been alone for a very  
  
long time. The village near where he had grown up had shunned him,  
  
afraid of his demon heritage even though his mother had been a  
  
respected member of their community. He had fled the place of his  
  
birth, fending for himself and growing up to believe that the only  
  
person he could count on was himself. When Kagome had awakened him  
  
from what was supposed to be his eternal slumber, he had entered a  
  
new life, eventually surrounding himself with a group of people he  
  
grudgingly admitted he would defend with his very life.  
  
Beside him, Miroku sat up suddenly, his staff suddenly  
  
gripped by bloodless fingers. With one hand shading his eyes, he  
  
scanned the horizon. Inuyasha leaped to his feet, automatically  
  
trusting the priest's senses. Pervert and corrupt he may be, Miroku  
  
knew enough not to fool around when there was possible danger around.  
  
"What's up, Priest?" Inuyasha growled, sniffing the air. "I  
  
don't smell anything nearby."  
  
"I'm not sure," Miroku said slowly, eyes still roving the  
  
distant skyline. "I just felt a stirring in my blood, a foreshadowing  
  
of some kind."  
  
Inuyasha sniffed as he let his guard relax slowly. "Let me  
  
tell you, the only time you have a stirring in your blood is when you  
  
see the latest batch of village girls."  
  
Miroku scowled. "Hey!"  
  
Before they could begin arguing in earnest, a cry came from  
  
the direction Kagome and Sango had headed. Inuyasha was off like a  
  
shot, bounding up the short hill and flying over the rock that  
  
blocked his view of the river.  
  
Miroku was hot on his heels, staff in one hand and rosary in  
  
the other, prepared to release the fury of his Air Void attack if it  
  
turned out to be dangerous. The cry had been Sango's after all, and  
  
it took a lot to make the demon huntress afraid.  
  
"Kagome!" Inuyasha shouted out as he tore down the other side  
  
of the hill to the river. He could see the two girls near the water,  
  
and the smaller form of Shippo perched beside them. Sango crouched on  
  
the ground, holding Kagome's limp body in her arms, and Inuyasha felt  
  
his heart nearly stop. Sliding the last few feet across damp grass,  
  
he skidded to a halt and dropped down beside the warrior.  
  
"What happened?" he snarled. " You were only gone a minute!"  
  
He lifted anxious eyes off Kagome's still features and stared at  
  
Sango. "Who did this?"  
  
"No one did," Sango replied, worriedly. "We were refilling  
  
the bottles when Kagome suddenly froze. I was going to ask her what  
  
was wrong when she collapsed."  
  
Inuyasha growled and reached out with one hand. He could hear  
  
Kagome's heart beating strongly in her chest, could hear the faint  
  
whistle of air going in and out of her lungs – he could even see the  
  
rising of her chest with each breath. Still, he couldn't help himself  
  
and he checked her pulse carefully, only to pull back with relief,  
  
pausing briefly to brush a stray lock of midnight from her face.  
  
"She seems to be okay," commented Miroku, appearing next to  
  
them. "Lay her down and I'll check her out."  
  
"Watch the hands, priest," Inuyasha muttered half-heartedly,  
  
more out of habit then anything else. Shippo remained perched on the  
  
rocks lining the riverside, his young eyes wide with fear.  
  
"Is Kagome okay?" he asked, staring at the still form of the  
  
one who had been most like a mother to him. Inuyasha looked at him,  
  
saw the fear, and took pity on the young kit.  
  
"Of course she's going to be okay, baka! You're a fox – can  
  
you not smell the life in her? Hear her blood pulse through her  
  
veins? Jeez."  
  
"I sense a vague mystic aura," Miroku said after a minute, as  
  
he sat back from his examination. "But whatever it was, is long since  
  
gone."  
  
Inuyasha raised an eyebrow as he thought of something. "This  
  
happened almost the same time you said you sensed something, Miroku.  
  
Do you think it has something to do with it?"  
  
"The possibility is great," admitted the priest as he stood  
  
up. "But I don't think Kagome's in any danger right now. She seems to  
  
be sleeping. I'll just get her settled for the night—"  
  
Sango smacked away the wandering hands of the priest. "Behave  
  
yourself!"  
  
Inuyasha flattened his ears, baring his fangs at the priest  
  
as he gathered Kagome into his arms. Shippo jumped from his seat onto  
  
the dog-demon's shoulder, the latter sighed and accepted the kit's  
  
presence without a fuss. Miroku held up his hands and smiled  
  
winningly at the half-demon.  
  
"Sorry, force of habit you realize."  
  
"Grrr………"  
  
  
  
===============================================================  
  
  
  
  
  
"What did you lose this time, runt?" Yuusuke sighed, bracing  
  
his forearms on the familiar wooden desk and eyeing the young lord  
  
with a weary frown. It never failed. As soon as the words "summer  
  
vacation" left his mouth after class that day, he had automatically  
  
flinched, cursed, and then started a mental countdown. Sure enough,  
  
along came Botan, swooping down on her magical oar, shrieking his  
  
name at the top of her godly little lungs. Yuusuke sighed again in  
  
irritation. He just couldn't catch a break. And Keiko was probably  
  
going to kill him for taking off without waiting for her. Again.  
  
Koenma looked at him and Yuusuke slowly straightened at the  
  
serious look on the young god's face. Normally, when Koenma needed  
  
them to do something, the godling was rushing around like a chicken  
  
with its head cut off, flapping his arms like little wings. Usually,  
  
he barked out orders at the top of his lungs, practically pushing the  
  
Reikai team out the door in his haste to return whatever was stolen  
  
before his father got back. He did NOT stare at the team with such a  
  
serious expression.  
  
Across the large room, the second member of the team,  
  
Kuwabara, eyed Koenma suspiciously. "What's wrong now?" The orange-  
  
haired boy traded worried looks with Yuusuke, apparently thinking the  
  
same thing.  
  
Koenma drummed his fingers on the desktop, watching the two  
  
of them, giving his options a last minute evaluation. Once he  
  
involved them, they were in for the duration. While it was their job  
  
to do his bidding, they had already faced this particular problem  
  
once before. They had succeeded, but only after nearly being  
  
destroyed.  
  
Yuusuke was running out of patience; he had never been a big  
  
fan of the silent treatment. "Koenma, just tell us! It can't be worse  
  
then anything you've already thrown at us, can it?"  
  
Koenma sent him a level stare. "Oh, yes it can." He looked  
  
away for a moment. "I did not want to bring you into this, you  
  
realize."  
  
"Afraid we can't handle it?" Kuwabara blinked in  
  
astonishment. After nearly two years as a Tantei member, he'd figured  
  
the last thing Koenma thought of them was incompetent. "Spill it,  
  
shorty."  
  
It was a true sign of Koenma's worry that he didn't even  
  
attempt to reprimand Kuwabara for his lack of proper respect. The  
  
young lord watched his two charges standing before him, already eager  
  
to set out on a task they knew nothing about. He had truly chosen  
  
wisely when he'd created his team.  
  
"It involves the Power Sphere."  
  
Yuusuke froze at Koenma's words, memories welling up in his  
  
mind. The power sphere. The same orb of power that had nearly killed  
  
Botan when she tried to hide it within herself. The orb that had  
  
corrupted the spiritual energy of the earth. He swallowed hard. That  
  
same power sphere had taken all of his energy and endurance to hold  
  
on to, and had required his teammates' sacrifice of power to assist  
  
him.  
  
Of all the challenges he had ever engaged in on Koenma's  
  
behalf, the battle over the power sphere remained the chief concern  
  
of his nightmares. The feeling of himself slipping away… And then  
  
there was Yakumo.  
  
He shuddered. Yakumo had been his greatest challenge. Even  
  
now, after Yakumo's apparent destruction, he could still see that  
  
demonic grinning face right in his; the murderous look in his eyes as  
  
he tried to destroy Yuusuke and his friends.  
  
Yuusuke looked at Koenma, his face now a blank mask, devoid  
  
of any emotion. "What about the Power Sphere?" he asked flatly.  
  
Koenma winced at the chilly undertone in his words, but he  
  
had expected it. "It's…back."  
  
Kuwabara came forward, leaning against the desk. "What do  
  
mean it's back? I thought after we purified it, it got reabsorbed  
  
into the spiritual energy of the earth." He avoided looking at his  
  
partner.  
  
"I thought so too," Koenma said quietly. " It was reabsorbed…  
  
and then reborn." He cleared his throat. "In the past."  
  
"In the past?" Kuwabara looked up quickly. "So it's here now  
  
then?"  
  
"Not exactly." Koenma sighed. " I need to give you two a  
  
little background information." He resumed tapping his fingers  
  
against the desk. Where to even begin? "You are aware of course of  
  
the boundary between the Makai and the Reikai. It's the boundary that  
  
keeps the demon world and the human world separate. The boundary is  
  
thinner in some parts, and it is those parts that we are able to jump  
  
back and forth."  
  
The two boys nodded; this was old news to them.  
  
"Some youkai, like Hiei and Kurama, are able to jump through  
  
those weak points using their powers. It takes a certain amount of  
  
skill and knowledge to pass through – it's the reason Yuusuke can  
  
sometimes go through, but at the same time, you, Kuwabara, need Botan  
  
to open up a gateway to allow you passage." He eyed the two  
  
again. "Still with me?"  
  
"Of course," Yuusuke shrugged. "We've only been doing it for  
  
years."  
  
"Well, what if I told you were not the only humans that are  
  
able to jump through these portals? Or that some of these portals  
  
don't lead to the Makai, but lead back in time?"  
  
That got their attention. Yuusuke and Kuwabara's eyes  
  
suddenly fixed on him with a fierce intensity. "Through time?"  
  
The future God of Death nodded. "Through time."  
  
"So there's a portal somewhere that leads to the past,"  
  
Yuusuke murmured, stroking his chin thoughtfully as he tried to piece  
  
Koenma's story together. "And since you said the power sphere is in  
  
the past, the portal you're thinking of must lead to it. Right?"  
  
Koenma nodded. "However, the power sphere was shattered by a  
  
magical arrow, and its shards scattered all over feudal Japan."  
  
"It was destroyed?" Yuusuke frowned. "That easily? By an  
  
arrow?"  
  
"What about that thing you said about humans going through  
  
time portals?" Kuwabara cut in abruptly. " Any humans in  
  
particular?"  
  
"Yes," said Koenma. He reached across his desk to a file that  
  
had sat there during the entire exchange, unnoticed. He handed it to  
  
Yuusuke, who raised one eyebrow – usually they were never allowed to  
  
see any of the files on his desk. The files contained a person's  
  
entire life history, current, previous and future. They were not  
  
something to be trifled with. Koenma didn't say anything though, so  
  
Yuusuke took it as a sign of permission, and flipped the cover over.  
  
A picture of a young girl with black hair and bright blue  
  
eyes smiled back at him.  
  
"Kagome Higureshi," he murmured, reading the girls  
  
name. "Cute. So she travels in time?"  
  
"She is the present-day reincarnation of a priestess who  
  
lived in feudal Japan," Koenma told them. "It is she who shattered  
  
the power sphere when she traveled back in time."  
  
"Why'd she do something like that?" Kuwabara asked, peering  
  
over Yuusuke's shoulder.  
  
"The orb had been reborn in her body, possibly drawn to her  
  
by the spiritual power she possessed as a miko. The sphere's power  
  
was detectible by youkai, and they tried to take it from her, to  
  
absorb it and increase their own power. She destroyed a crow demon  
  
that tried to do so, and inadvertently hit the sphere at the same  
  
time."  
  
"Ouch," Yuusuke winced.  
  
"She and her friends of that era have been collecting the  
  
shards to restore the sphere. "Koenma looked at Yuusuke. "When you  
  
battled Yakumo, the sphere's powers were revealed to you. What do you  
  
remember?"  
  
"That it was an enormous source of energy," he shrugged. "Ya  
  
know? I could feel my own power increasing – I felt that if I had  
  
fired my rei gun the moment the sphere was in my hand, I would have  
  
obliterated half of Tokyo."  
  
Koenma nodded, satisfied. "That's part of it, yes. "  
  
"What's the other part?" Kuwabara asked warily.  
  
"The sphere has the power to grant the heart's desire."  
  
Yuusuke gazed at him with concern as he thought about what  
  
that might entail. After dealing with chaotic, eccentric, and/or  
  
bloodthirsty demons for so long, he was well aware of the fact that  
  
one's heart's desire could be anything from an eight-course meal, to  
  
millions of dollars, to the pure heart of a virgin, to world  
  
domination.  
  
Kuwabara folded his arms. "But if this priestess/miko person  
  
has the sphere, isn't that safer than normal or something? Or is she  
  
secretly evil?"  
  
Koenma shook his head. "Kagome isn't the one I'm worried  
  
about." The little god then focused on Yuusuke. "Yakumo is back as  
  
well. And he is after the Sphere."  
  
Once again Yuusuke froze. Kuwabara groaned, slamming his hand  
  
across his face. "Well, if that just doesn't take the cake…"  
  
"I'm sorry, Yuusuke," Koenma said sincerely, ignoring the  
  
orange-haired boy's moaning. "He escaped limbo shortly after the  
  
power sphere was in he beginning stages of being put back together.  
  
From what I can determine, he could sense the power reawakening in  
  
the sphere. The shards themselves are powerful, but nothing like the  
  
whole thing. The closer it comes to being out together, the more  
  
energy is sent out to heal it, and Yakumo's link with his old power  
  
source must have been such that he could feel it struggling." He  
  
shook his head tiredly. "It was enough for him to latch on to."  
  
Yuusuke took a deep breath. "Okay…okay." He looked up, trying  
  
to regain his focus. "So, Yakumo is back. I can deal with this. Where  
  
is he?"  
  
Koenma winced. "Umm….that part, I don't know." The pair gaped  
  
at him in astonishment and he grew a little defensive. "Hey, do you  
  
know how fast this is happening? I'm doing the best I can here."  
  
"Then I guess that means we have to go get that sphere back  
  
before Yakumo does," Kuwabara said, cracking his knuckles. "Right?"  
  
Yuusuke nodded.  
  
"Actually…" Koenma let his voice trail off a bit. Yuusuke  
  
glared at him.  
  
"Now what?"  
  
"You have to help Kagome and her friends put the shards back  
  
into the complete whole. It's nearly done, but one of their enemies  
  
has the rest of the shards. Also, you won't be able to handle it  
  
Yuusuke. Not again."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
Koenma pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to stave off  
  
the impending headache he'd had ever since George's fateful  
  
report. "The Sphere had been corrupt with dark energy when you used  
  
your own to purify it. It tied a link to you, and you sent it back  
  
into the earth's energy before it could give you your heart's  
  
desire." He rubbed his temples; pinching wasn't working. "It created  
  
a build up in power that wasn't released like the rest of it. In this  
  
case, the Sphere has a link with Kagome. Only she can purify it this  
  
time around, and let it do what it's supposed to do."  
  
"What if she wishes for something evil?" Kuwabara asked  
  
softly.  
  
"I think the one piece of good news we've had all day is that  
  
Kagome cannot be corrupted without a great deal of outside influence  
  
of evil power," Koenma told him. "Her very touch purifies corrupt  
  
shards. And she wants only happiness for her friends." He smiled. "It  
  
was these kinds of wishes that made up the Sphere's true powers from  
  
the start. It was Yakumo who changed everything and made the Sphere a  
  
symbol for darkness."  
  
"So then we help put the Sphere back together, let this  
  
Kagome-chick make her wish, keep Yakumo off her back and then what?"  
  
"Hopefully the Sphere will dissipate completely," Koenma  
  
shrugged. "At any rate, Yakumo needs to be stopped. Permanently." He  
  
eyed them seriously. "Understood?"  
  
"Yeah," Yuusuke acknowledged with a grimace. `If I can.' "So  
  
where's Kurama and Hiei? Aren't they a part of this too?"  
  
"Hiei's in the Makai with Mukuro right now. It's part of the  
  
deal he worked out with her to remain her heir, and still stay in the  
  
Ningenkai with Kurama."  
  
Yuusuke and Kuwabara grinned, as they always did, at the  
  
mention of their teammates relationship. The very first time the  
  
eager kitsune had tackled the moody fire demon in public had been  
  
priceless. "So Kurama's gone to get him?"  
  
"I've given Kurama the directions to the time portal Kagome  
  
uses," Koenma nodded. "They will meet you there."  
  
"Awesome." Kuwabara cracked his knuckles. " Then I'd say it's  
  
time to get this show on the road."  
  
Yuusuke nodded. He gave one last look at Koenma who actually  
  
managed to look apologetic and resolutely pushed his fears down into  
  
the pit of his stomach to handle later.  
  
"Let's do it."  
  
  
  
==============================================================  
  
  
  
TBC…  
  
  
  
End part 1  
  
  
  
More notes!  
  
Okay - the spelling of Sango's weapon was taken directly off a subbed  
  
episode so any fault with it is on the part of the subber whom I  
  
automatically trusted to know what they were doing. (you'd think I'd  
  
know better after the "Scurdick" fiasco in the WK subs ^_~)  
  
I apologize for any formatting problems - I went through and tried to  
  
fix them all manually but if any still showed up...*sighs and kicks  
  
word processor*  
  
If anyone has any title suggestions, I'm open to them. 


	2. 

Wo

She could hear the warbles and trills of the birds around her, so she couldn't be dead –- the pain in her skull was just making her feel that way. Kagome groaned and slowly opened her eyes, shutting them quickly as the light pierced right through to her already aching brain.   
  
" Ow…" she muttered, raising one hand to rub her temple. A rustling sound caught her attention -- the sound of cloth whispering over grass… and then a familiar voice spoke.   
  
" Kagome?"   
  
" I-Inuyasha?" Kagome opened her eyes again, this time shading them from the sun with her hand. She looked up to see the dog-demon's worried face peering down at her. Inuyasha was worried? She blinked. " What happened?"   
  
" That's what I'm hoping you'll fill me in on," Inuyasha said in a low voice. He reached down and wrapped one arm around her shoulder, bringing her to an upright position before she was ready. Kagome moaned again as the world seemed to tilt on its axis for a minute, spinning crazily about her in a kaleidoscope of colours.   
  
" Inuyasha?"   
  
" Yeah?"   
  
" Don't take this the wrong way, but you're making me sick." 

  
" What?"   
  
Kagome threw up.  
  


**¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾**  
  
  
Inuyasha grumbled as he washed his feet in the cool waters of the stream Kagome had fainted by. He wasn't really angry, but the grumbles and snarls helped mask the worry he felt over Kagome being sick like that. He smirked internally; it also kept Shippo away from him out of fear of bodily harm.   
  
Miroku and Sango were mollified after Kagome kept insisting she was fine.   
  
" Really," she said. " After being sick, I was fine!"   
  
Inuyasha growled again and jumped out of the water, scraping his feet against the soft grass to dry them. Kagome looked over from where she sat, watching Miroku prepare the ramen cups she had brought for their meal.   
  
" I'm sorry, Inuyasha," she apologized again with an embarrassed blush as the dog-demon silently strode up to the group and plopped himself down next to her. He shrugged.   
  
" I'll live." He eyed her warily. " Just...warn me next time."   
  
Sango chuckled and Shippo guffawed, clapping his little paws over his mouth to keep Inuyasha from hearing him. Inuyasha ignored them and focused on Kagome again.   
  
" So what happened?"   
  
Kagome stared into the fire Sango had built, watching the flames dance on the light breeze that circled around them and across the river. Sparks popped and crackled, sounding abnormally loud in the rare silence as they waited for her answer.   
  
The weird thing was, she really didn't have one to give. All she could remember was a flash of pain, like a flare-up of her Miko powers, but on a higher scale than anything she had ever felt before. For a split second, it was like she had been plugged in to the universe. She told her friends as much. Then the power had overloaded and her mind had short-circuited. The next thing she knew, she was waking up and puking all over Inuyasha.   
  
Sango made a face at the graphic ending to her tale but nodded anyway. " Just before you collapsed, you had a strange look on your face, like you were in intense pain. But just before it, you looked like you were seeing paradise."   
  
Shippo cocked his head to one side. " What did you see, Kagome?"   
  
Kagome's eyes took on a far-away look as she recalled that split second before her world had exploded.   
  
" A brilliant light...like a spherical jewel of unparalleled beauty..."   
  
" Shikon no tama?" Miroku breathed, captivated.   
  
Kagome blinked as she thought about it. " Similar...but more. Bright but dark."   
  


" A dream of the future?" Inuyasha asked quietly. Kagome looked at him.

" I don't know."

  
Her answer seemed to satisfy them for the time being, and the subject was dropped. But as Miroku and the others cleaned up the campsite, Kagome's thoughts were drawn back to the moment after the brilliance. The intense pain, the icy coldness that enveloped her and pulled her down into a spiral of darkness… She shuddered at the memory. Something was wrong. She didn't know what, but she had a feeling that the biggest test for their rag-tag team was just ahead, and she could only pray that they were all strong enough to survive it.   
  
  
**¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾**  
  
  
The demoness they had been chasing initially was easy for Inuyasha to track down, and he and Miroku dispatched it with ruthless efficiency. The fun and excitement of the hunt had been leeched away by Kagome's earlier collapse, and they all agreed that it was in everyone's best interest to conclude this little expedition and return to the village for a bit of rest and recuperation.   
  
Kagome was mortified that everyone was willing to change their plans on a whim like that for her sake, and it took a great deal to convince her that it was everyone's choice and that they weren't going to change their minds. She initially grumped all the way home but as they reached the outskirts of the village and the children ran out to greet them in their usual exuberant manner, she found a sense of relief at the thought of taking a breather. She smiled - as usual, her friends' judgement was sound, and she told them so as they neared Kaede's hut.   
  
" Kaede-obassan!" she called out. The village matriarch poked her head out through the door and her wizened face turned up in a small but warm smile at their welcome.   
  
Kaede was the younger sister of the recently revived and rejuvenated Kikyo, but time had played its game on her, and played it well. Wrinkles creased her tanned face, and the black eye patch spoke of the many trials she had faced in her life. There was no trace of the young girl she had been, save for her one remaining eye which sparked with life and fire, even more than ever since Kagome and Inuyasha had been brought into to her life, bringing with them the excitement and adventure she had participated in during her youth. Kagome rushed at the older woman and hugged her.   
  
" Welcome, child," Kaede said, patting her back. " That was a short trip, wasn't it?" 

Then her eyes narrowed. Kagome saw the look on her face and sighed - she should have known Kaede would know that something had happened.   
  
Kaede closed her eyes and reached out with her fading Miko powers. Once the sister of the most powerful Miko of all, Kaede had a claim to those same powers, too. While not on the same level as Kikyo or Kagome, she nonetheless retained the ability to sense when something was wrong with someone's aura.   
  
" Your spirit took a beating, Kagome," she murmured, 'seeing' Kagome with her mind. The girl's aura was a vibrant red but there were darker patches sprouting over it. " Did someone attack you?"   
  
" I'm not sure," Kagome confessed. " I was unconscious at the time."   
  
Kaede nodded. She had felt something strange a day or so ago, but had dismissed it when the fleeting feeling passed without recurrence. Now she wished she had paid more attention to it.   
  
" Well, you seem to be fine for now. A few days rest should see your spirit back to its normal self." The old woman looked up and finally greeted the rest of the group. " Good to see you again, Sango, Miroku."   
  
Sango bowed her head in respect and Miroku gallantly tried to kiss her hand, but the cagey woman backhanded him out of the way. Miroku hit the ground and rubbed his arm with a rueful smile.   
  
" One of these days I'll learn I can't pull anything on you," he grinned. Kaede cackled. Shippo launched himself at his adopted grandmother.   
  
" Kaede-obassan!"   
  
" Hello to you too, Shippo-chan," Kaede greeted the kit, ruffling his fur fondly. " Have you been keeping an eye on Inuyasha?"   
  
" He doesn't make it easy," the kit sighed.   
  
" Feh!"   
  
Kaede looked up and saw Inuyasha sprawled out along a tree branch, hands behind his head and his eyes closed.   
  
" Welcome back, mutt!"   
  
" Hello to you, too, old crone."   
  
Kagome grinned. Inuyasha would rather die then admit his fondness for the tough old woman. His insults were a way of hiding his affections, and like her, Kaede saw right through them. Kaede turned back to Kagome.   
  
" I'm sure you're all tired. I had a feeling you'd be back sooner than expected, and had some of the village boys bring me back some more food supplies."   
  
Kagome's eyes shined. " Rabbit stew with vegetables?" Suddenly she and Shippo vanished through the doors, leaving a trail of dust behind them.   
  
Sango grinned. " Let's follow their example."   
  
Miroku bowed. " After you."   
  
Sango glared and pushed him ahead of her. " Uh-huh. I wasn't born yesterday, priest."   
  
Miroku snapped his fingers as he was prodded through the doors. " Curses. Foiled again!"   
  
  


  
**¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾**

Yuusuke had always considered himself to be a decent enough guy. Sure, he played a little loosely with the rules, and yeah, his respect for teachers was...somewhat less then what it should be. But he always treated his elders with respect...except his mother -- but then again, she didn't really act like an adult to begin with, anyway....   
  
Yuusuke mentally smacked himself, shocking his thoughts back into some kind of order. So anyway, he wasn't a bad guy, right? That was the deal: save child, get killed, get brought back, use gnarly powers and save humanity. He was a hero. 

  
Therefore, Rei-gunning the little old man dancing in front of him, waving paper strips in the air and dousing him with alcohol would be a bad thing to do.   
  
Another strip of paper with an undecipherable kanji character on it struck his forehead and dangled between his eyes.   
  
" Oi!" Yuusuke tore the strip off and chucked it at Kuwabara, who laughed and ducked. " Why isn't he throwing paper at you?"   
  
" Not sure, man! Geez, he really doesn't like you!" Kuwabara backed away from the fuming Urameshi, still chuckling.   
  
After meeting with Koenma, the two had gotten started on their mission right away, going through the Reikai Gate and landing directly in front of the shrine where the supposed 'time travelling well' was housed. Both had thought this part of the mission would be simple: meet Kagome, get her to take them through the well, and start looking for shard pieces, right? No sweat.   
  
Then the shrine's owner had come out to greet them. The little old man had taken one look at Yuusuke before he paled, grabbed a small bottle of alcohol from his robe, and began chanting and throwing things, alternating between splashes of the alcohol and pieces of paper Kuwabara had recognized as a beginner's attempts at wards. He noted several mistakes right off the bat and winced. A rough beginner, at that.   
  
Kuwabara picked up the one Yuusuke had thrown at him and studied it. The alcohol he identified, with a sniff and a wince, as very strong vodka, smearing some of the ink, but he thought he recognized the sign for demon.   
  
He cackled.   
  
" Oi, Urameshi!" He waved his arm to get Yuusuke's attention. Yuusuke growled as another ward struck his arm.   
  
" What!?"   
  
" He thinks you're a demon!"   
  
" Demon?" Yuusuke blinked. Of course - as a shrine owner, the old man was probably sensitive to strong or unusual auras. Being a resurrected agent of heaven was probably setting off Grampa's spiritual alarms. " Figures. Gramps! Yo! Hold up, I'm not a demon!"   
  
He jumped back and hid behind Kuwabara as the man froze and stared at them suspiciously, cocking his head to one side.   
  
" Not a demon, you say?"   
  
He came closer and leaned forward, scrutinizing the black-haired boy closely.   
  
" That's a pretty strange aura you have there, son."   
  
Yuusuke shrugged. " Do I look like a demon to you?"   
  
The old man gave him one last look and then his lips curled up into a huge smile.    
  
" You must be right. Besides, if you were a demon, those wards would burned off your flesh by now, and your bones melted by the holy water—"   
  
" You mean these things?" Yuusuke growled, holding out one of the wards. " You misspelled 'banished'."   
  
The man turned red. " Not important, I assure you."   
  
Kuwabara snorted. " Holy water? Only if you're holding services in a Russian bar." 

  
" That's stronger than Mom's junk," Yuusuke agreed, taking his jacket off and wringing it out with a grimace. The old man began to bluster.   
  
" I'll have you know--"   
  
" Grandpa?"   
  
A little boy peered around the side of the house and then ran up to them. He bowed politely to Yuusuke and Kuwabara.   
  
" Welcome to the Higureshi shrine," he greeted them. His eyes crossed and he sniffed. Yuusuke groaned but then the boy whirled around and looked accusingly at his grandfather.   
  
" Grandpa! Momma told you to stop doing that!"   
  
" Your mother would rather we be attacked by demons?" The old man countered defensively, clutching his bottle to him. Kuwabara chuckled.   
  
" So it's not just strangers he throws alcohol at?"   
  
The boy sweat dropped. " My apologies. My name is Sota. "   
  
Kuwabara shook the youths hand. " Nice to meetcha', Sota. I'm Kuwabara and the lush here is Yuusuke."   
  
Yuusuke smacked the orange-haired boy and then extended a hand of his own. " You're charmed, I'm sure. We're looking for Kagome. Is she your sister?"   
  
The boy's face became somewhat guarded at the mention of his sister, and Yuusuke had the feeling he had just stepped on to some very dangerous ground.   
  
" Who wants to know?"   
  
Bingo.   
  
" We're friends of hers from school," he lied smoothly. " We need to ask her something very important."   
  
The boy studied them for a moment and Yuusuke fidgeted under the intense scrutiny. It was almost humorous, feeling nervous of a boy who couldn't be more then eight or nine years old at the most.   
  
" She's not here," Sota said finally. " I'll tell her you were here the next time she's home."   
  
Kuwabara blinked and then looked knowingly at Yuusuke. The black-haired boy caught his eye and they both turned to Sota.   
  
" She's in the past, isn't she?" Yuusuke prodded. He still didn't know if he wanted to believe in time travel but he still had to carry out his investigation. And it looked like he struck pay dirt - the boy's eyebrows shot straight up to his hairline.   
  
" How did you--"   
  
" See? Demons!" The old man fumbled for his bottle and Yuusuke sighed. Tired of playing around, he caught the man's wrist before he could spray him again and dumped the contents on the ground. Then he set the bottle on the ground very deliberately and stood back, folding his arms. 

The old man looked at the puddle of rapidly evaporating alcohol and sighed mournfully. Such a waste.... 

  
" How do you know about that?" Sota pressed, pushing past his grandfather and staring Yuusuke in the face.   
  
" It's something we really need to discuss with her," Yuusuke said, scratching the back of his head. Kuwabara nodded.   
  
" We're not here to hurt her, kid. We're actually here to help. We need to help her find some kind of shards to stop a....bad guy..." he finished rather lamely. Sota raised one eyebrow.   
  
" Human or demon?"   
  
Kuwabara gaped at the boy and Yuusuke grinned. " Kids today. Can't keep anything from them." He moved past Kuwabara and squatted in front of Sota. " Look, Sota, you seem like a smart guy."   
  
" I am," Sota nodded proudly.   
  
" Well, I'm gonna share a secret with you. Me and him--" he jerked a thumb in Kuwabara's direction."--are members of the Reikai Tantei. We're demon killers."   
  
If he thought his words were going to shock and amaze, Yuusuke was sorely disappointed. Sota folded his arms, not looking very impressed. " Yeah? Prove it."   
  
Yuusuke laughed. He really liked this kid. " You got it, pal." Turning around, he looked for an appropriate target. Spotting a rotting tree stump, he gestured to Sota who watched him carefully. Taking aim, Yuusuke focused his energy and let a small ball form at his fingertip. With little more then a thought, he let it fly and the stump exploded into kindling. Sota watched the smouldering shards with an amazed look on his young face, and his grandfather fainted dead away. Yuusuke blew the excess ki off his finger like it was the smoking barrel of a gun and turned to the boy. He mentally smacked himself as he saw the look of amazement change to one of fear.   
  
" Aw geez...look, Sota, I did that for a reason and it wasn't to scare you, okay?" He crouched down to the boy's eye level again. " If I really wanted to hurt you, I could have attacked you or your home instead of that dead tree stump, right?"   
  
Sota nodded, eyes wide.   
  
" Well, I didn't hit you or anything else, because I'm not a bad guy. Even if you never tell me anything, I wouldn't hurt you, got it?"   
  
Sota nodded again and the fear turned to thoughtfulness, as he seemed to chew on that thought. 

He was an intelligent child, and blessed with an intuitive sense about people. Kind-hearted to a fault, he liked to presume the best about people and their motives. This Yuusuke character seemed like an okay kind of guy. A little gruff but not really mean...his eyes lit up as a thought struck him.

" You're just like Inuyasha-niichan!"   
  
" Inu-whahoo-chan?" Yuusuke repeated blankly. Whatever response he had been expecting, that wasn't it. Sota nodded, his eyes shining.   
  
" Inuyasha-niichan! He helps Kagome all the time! And he's a nice guy - even though he acts real tough and mean. You're like him, aren't you? You're going to help Kagome?"   
  
Yuusuke scratched his head and tossed Kuwabara a look that pleaded for help. " Ahh..."   
  
" Come on!" Sota grabbed hold of his free hand and began dragging the juvenile delinquent across the Shrine grounds. Kuwabara snickered as he watched the most feared spirit detective in the three worlds being shanghaied by a child  
  


**¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾**  
  
  
  
" This is it?"   
  
Yuusuke and Kuwabara looked down into the damp, dark interior of the ancient well. Slippery moss crawled up the sides, and through the murky gloom they could just make out a few rocks and shadowy shapes lining the bottom.   
  
" Doesn't look like much," Kuwabara commented, tossing in a pebble.   
  
" I know." Yuusuke folded his arms. " I don't see how this leads back through time - it looks like a normal well to me."   
  
Sota shrugged. " When Kagome or Inuyasha jump down, it changes colours and they sink through the ground. I can't get through so maybe you can't either."   
  
Yuusuke sighed. " Well, may as well check it out, eh?" Jumping on the ledge easily, he leaped to the floor of the well. His feet struck the ground. Nothing. Well, based on Koenma's track record for accuracy, he couldn't really say he was surprised. 

  
" Figures. Kuwabara, remind me to string Koenma up by his pacifier!" he railed, looking up at the tow-headed teen who peered over the side, blinking at him.   
  
" Umm...Urameshi?"   
  
" Time travelling wells...I shoulda' known Koenma was pulling our chain..."   
  
" Oi! Urameshi!"   
  
" And to tease me about Yakumo - I'm gonna beat him like a piñata..."   
  
" YUUSUKE!"   
  
" Huh?" Yuusuke blinked at Kuwabara's bellow. " What?"   
  
" That!" Kuwabara pointed at his feet and Yuusuke looked down to see a strange glow spreading across the floor of the well.   
  
" What the..."   
  
" You always were the impatient one," Kuwabara grinned. The larger boy placed his hands on the weather-beaten ledge of the well and vaulted down next to his friend. Sota watched in amazement as the two boys began to sink through the floor, catching their last few words as they disappeared.   
  
" Once more into the breach!"   
  
" Where'd you steal that line?"   
  
" Some book I read..."   
  
" You can read?"   
  
" Shut up!"   
  
Sota snickered as the bickering faded away.   
  
  


**¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾******

Naraku sat in his usual perch by the large front opening to his castle, one leg dangling down from the ledge in a deceptively nonchalant 

manner. His eyes were hidden from casual view by a veil of dark hair that cascaded down across the open folds of his tunic. One hand played idly with his piece of the Shikon no Tama.   
  
It was actually amusing that such a tiny thing could hold such power. Naraku was no fool - he knew better then anyone what kind of power the jewel, in one piece, held for those with youkai blood. Even the low-level creatures that sought the individual shards only had an elusive grasp of the situation - they were too dull-witted to understand the destructive forces they were privy to when they held a shard in their grungy.   
  
" Still playing with your knick-knack?"  A darkly amused voice cut into Naraku's internal monologue and he caught the jewel up in one hand. The voice was unmistakeable and he spoke without turning around.   
  
" Good evening, Kikyo."   
  
" Naraku." The former priestess inclined her head towards him.   
  
" Gracing me with your presence again so soon?"   
  
Kikyo gave a decidedly unladylike snort. " If you would like to believe so." She knelt down on the floor, across from him, dark eyes almost burning through the curtain of hair that barred her view of his eyes. " I thought you might be interested to know of the wave of spiritual energy that was just unleashed."   
  
" You're growing slow in your old age, Kikyo," the half-youkai chuckled. " You think one of my ability would not sense a power of that magnitude?" His thumb rubbed across the top of the Shikon shard cradled in his palm. " I was aware of it the moment it occurred."   
  
Kikyo smiled. " Really. Tell me - how much did you really feel?"   
  
Naraku's hands stilled. " What should I have felt?" His tone was curious.   
  
The priestess studied his motionless form for a minute, and then nodded. " I see." She then rose to her feet in one smooth movement, the soft rustling of her ceremonial robes the only sound in the empty room. " I apologize for disturbing you. I will be in the village should you need me."   
  
" I always know where you are, Kikyo-sama," Naraku stressed her old title with a hint of sarcasm. " Thank you for your concern."   
  
Kikyo merely turned on her heel, striding from the room. She exited the castle without a backwards look. Her thoughts whirled in her mind like wind dervishes, chasing each other up one side and down the other.   
  
Naraku had felt _something_, that much was plain. She almost thought she could see a faint glow come from the shards in his hand when he spoke. But he hadn't felt the true wave that she had, that much was also certain. He was still conscious, after all.****

**¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾******

Naraku watched silently as Kikyo left his chambers. She would have to be watched carefully, he knew. A deadly and dangerous game she was playing – and one that he was not certain she could win. The dog demon was a formidable foe and as much as she professed to despise him, revelling in the freedom that hate could bring, she was still in love with him. For that reason alone, she could steal his Shikon shard and give it to the one who could use it to destroy him.

_You worry far too much._

Naraku wrenched himself up as the quiet but forceful voice echoed in his mind, bouncing off his consciousness like a villager's hammer.

" Who dares? " he snarled, snapping his head from left to right. " Who dares enter my mind? Show yourself!"

A hoarse cackle met his challenge and Naraku's eyes widened ever so slightly before narrowing again as a white mist slowly seeped in to the room, bathing the room in a wispy shroud that taxed even his considerable senses as he peered through the gloom. He could sense something that wasn't there before – an aura he didn't recognize yet at the same time, felt strangely familiar. It was a sort of? darkness, one with a purity of hatred and evil that he could not even attempt to match in intensity. He waved one hand angrily, dispelling some of the mist near his face and growled as it continued to fill the room.

" Parlour tricks," he hissed. " Who are you?" Unbidden, the nails on his hands lengthened to claws and his muscles tensed. The presence continued to grow, and so did its level of power until Naraku suddenly felt dwarfed by its sheer aura.

I am the true owner of the sphere… 

The voice, silky smooth and filled with malevolence flitted through Naraku's voice; his fists clenched.

" What do you mean true owner? And what sphere do you refer to?"

_The sphere…it is damaged…did you damage the power sphere?_

Naraku's eyes widened as he felt a ghostly hand reach out and trail chilly fingers down his neck and chest, coming to the end of the cord he had attached to the Shikon shards that he wore around his neck.

" The Shikon…"

_The power sphere…my power sphere…what have you done to it?_

It had been a long time since Naraku had felt anything remotely resembling fear. He had welcomed a horde of demons to consume his flesh and make him one of them – he had more power then anything else in the land. Yet the voice speaking to him was ancient, speaking of a terrible future for him if he did not give an answer the voice liked. Naraku swallowed; the aura was growing impossibly, and suddenly the winds began to whip around the room, sending his robes tossing in a wild dance with an invisible partner. He cried out as electricity suddenly ripped down his spinal cord, his youkai powers captured by this strange menace.

_You did not do this…the one who did…?_

" She is Kagome!" Naraku burst out. He forgot his own agenda, his own abilities and focused on trying to control the overwhelming fear racing through him. He couldn't understand it – he had always been so powerful, the one feared by all who dared cross his path. He thought nothing of killing, slaughtering anyone he chose on a whim and exercising his control with wild abandon.

But this being was far more, something superior even to him and he could sense it. But still… Naraku's fear suddenly abated somewhat and he slumped to the ground as the mists rolled back. Opening his eyes, Naraku looked up to see the white curtains pull back, revealing a tall, lean figure of pale skin and icy black eyes, old as time itself, staring back at him. Naraku's mind raced as the memories of a thousand demons shouted in his head and a name came unbidden to his lips.

" Yakumo…"

The demon stepped forward, each step shaking off waves of power that would have bowled the smaller demon over, had his own power not been the level it was. Naraku froze as he watched the approach of the oldest, most powerful demon in history step towards him and he stifled the automatic whimper that welled up in his throat.

" Master…"

" Yesss…" Yakumo hissed. " You know me now, young one. As I know you." One hand reached out and gently stroked the long strands of dark brown hair framing Naraku's face. " You are quite powerful for one so young. You think you are worthy of owning my power? That you alone can contain it?"

Naraku couldn't move.

Yakumo laughed harshly. " Maybe you could, young one." The hand trailing down Naraku's face suddenly gripped the demons chin in his hand, jerking his head up to meet his eyes. " But as long as I exist in this realm, that power belongs to me, and me alone. You will help me retrieve what is mine." He reached down and ripped the Shikon shard off the cord and cradled it in his palm. " Starting with this one." He chuckled. " Perhaps I shall reward you for your efforts. I seem to be lacking an army at the moment. "

Naraku nodded, still paralysed with terror. Yakumo raised the shard to his eyes and caressed it gently. The Sphere was in pain; he could feel it longing to be whole again.

" Soon," he cooed at it, black eyes flashing ominously. " Soon…"

¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾

Inuyasha watched as Kagome, Sango and the rest dug into the hot stew that Kaede set out for them. He wasn't that hungry – for some reason, his senses were on the alert. The air smelled bad, like the lingering stench of a slaughtered oni. He frowned – he hadn't killed anything in the village that day, or for a long time now, come to think of it. The hairs on the back of his neck were standing on end and it was driving him crazy since he couldn't find a plausible reason for his guard to be up so blasted high!

" Inuyasha?" Kagome's voice broke into his milling thoughts, and he shook his head slightly, clearing away the aftermath of his disturbing mental monologue.

" What?"

" Aren't you hungry?" Kagome eyed him worriedly before handing out a bowl filled to the brim. " You haven't eaten all day."

Despite his unease, Inuyasha couldn't stop his nose from twitching, inhaling the delicious scent of roasted rabbit. His mouth watered and his tongue snaked out to lick his chops. Kagome smiled knowingly and turned back to her meal.

About to dig in, a new scent suddenly drifted into the hut, carried on a faint breeze. The smell was slight, but it was enough to make Inuyasha's ears prick forwards. His lip curled upwards in a snarl and a rumbling growl issued from his throat. Kagome whirled around at the sounds she knew as 'Angry Inuyasha'.

" Inuyasha?"

But he was already gone. The heavy cloth doorway flapped gently in the wake of his passing.

**¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾******

The feeling of sinking through the dirt floor of the well was akin to sinking in quicksand, but since Yuusuke had never actually gotten stuck in quicksand - yet - he could only guess that it was a reasonable comparison.   
  
" My feet are disappearing," he informed Kuwabara casually. " And I can see the light."   
  
Kuwabara was blinking rapidly as a myriad of colours flashed and rippled before his eyes. Streaks of red, gold, violet, blue and green seemed to envelope and wrap around them, carrying them down to an end they couldn't see.   
  
" I always wondered what the inside of a rainbow would look like," he grinned. " Think there's a pot of gold at the end of this ride?"   
  
" Dunno. But if I start seeing leprechauns, I'm going to make sure I dye Koenma's office this mess of colours before they haul me off on a little red wagon to the place where people scribble on the walls all day."   
  
Kuwabara laughed out loud and then the world suddenly up-ended itself dumping them to a solid ground that hadn't been there two minutes before. He yelped, flailing his arms wildly and hit the ground, managing to snag Yuusuke's arm in a last-ditch effort to regain his balance and bringing the black-haired boy down with him.   
  
" Saa...." Yuusuke groaned as he rubbed his nose; his abrupt landing had it planted in the loose soil. " Why'd you grab on to me? I was falling too!"   
  
" If I go down, I like to bring my friends with me," Kuwabara choked out. He sneezed out a noseful of dirt. " And you were the closest thing to try and break my fall."   
  
" What a pal," Yuusuke muttered. He pushed himself up and stood, reaching down to give Kuwabara a hand up. " Think we made it?"   
  
" I would say yes."   
  
" And why would you say that?"   
  
A growl started low in the background and then suddenly grew louder. Yuusuke froze and looked up to see a long-haired demon with two fuzzy ears and what appeared to be the biggest freaking sword he had ever seen straddling the top of the well and snarling down at them. Kuwabara cleared his throat.   
  
" That would be why."   
  
Yuusuke glared at the unrepentant thug he called a best friend and then turned his attention to the snarling.... whatever it was above them. He raised his hands, cracking his knuckles in eager anticipation. His lip curled up in a half-sneer.   
  
" Bad dog."   
  
With that, he let loose a rei-gun blast directly at the demon.   
  


  
**¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾**  
  


  
Inuyasha's eyes were sharp enough to pick out every single detail of the strangers in the well. They were human from what he could tell but their aura's were incredibly strong, much more then a normal humans should be. He growled.   
  
These strangers had come from Kagome's time, from Kagome's home. Who knew what they were up too - and could they possibly have something to do with her earlier collapse? Were they a part of the dark premonition she spoke of?   
  
Fear for Kagome's safety rose up in his chest until it threatened to overwhelm him. His muscles tensed under the heavy fire-rat cloak he wore and he snarled. Freeing Tetsaiga from it's sheath, he readied himself, staring down at the two, willing them to make a move, daring them to give him an excuse to hurt them.   
  
A light flickered and Inuyasha blinked. The boy's hand was glowing. Then he spoke.   
  
" Bad dog."   
  
Before Inuyasha could snarl a retort, the light left the boy's hand and flew at him. Inuyasha threw his hand up over his eyes as the blast struck him square in the chest, throwing him back. His back struck a large oak tree, leaving a sizeable dent in the rough bark, and he fell to the ground with a grunt. His chest was burning, and for a second he couldn't breathe.   
  
His instincts then kicked in and he got to his feet. His grip on Tetsaiga hadn't faltered and he resumed his ready stance as the boy in green leaped out of the well and landed on the grass. The one in blue was less agilely inclined and lumbered after his friend, throwing one muscled arm over the rim of the well and hauling himself up with considerable effort.   
  
Inuyasha smirked at the look of disbelief on the blue male's face. Apparently he had expected it to be a one-blow battle.   
  
" Come get me, human," he growled, his eyes igniting with golden fire. The young man's eyes narrowed and another glow began to emanate from his closed fist.   
  
" STOP!"   
  
Inuyasha's head snapped to the side in time to see Kagome skid to a halt right between them. Her hands were held up she gave them both looks that promised certain doom if they did not obey her that instant. The two boys gave each other a look and shrugged. The one in green abruptly sat down on the ledge and propped his chin in his hand, watching the proceedings with interest. The one Inuyasha had been fighting held out his hand and let the glowing ball of energy fade away into nothing. Inuyasha's eyes lit up again.   
  
NOW! He flung himself into the air. The boy in blue tensed.   
  
" OWSURI!"   
  
The beaded collar around Inuyasha's neck flashed once and then a great heavy force rapidly pulled Inuyasha face-first to the ground, planting him about a foot into the ground. His jaw snapped together with an audible click and he growled reflexively as pain issued forth in little shockwaves up and down his spine. His eyes promised revenge as he slowly lifted his head and stared at Kagome.   
  
" What do you think you're doing?" he snapped at her.   
  
  
**¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾**  
  
When the girl had run out in between them, Yuusuke had frozen, not wanting to hit an innocent with his deadly rei gun. He looked at Kuwabara who shrugged and plunked himself down on the well. Yuusuke nodded and let the blast fade away. It took some effort and he hoped that demon damn well appreciated what he was doing. The girl was sending death glares to them now and he opened his mouth to say something reassuring when he noticed movement behind her.   
  
The demon was on his feet, leaping into the air--   
  
" OWSURI!"   
  
" What the hell?" Kuwabara blurted out as he and Yuusuke watched with fascination as the creature changed directions in mid-air, slamming into the ground at an incredible rate. Yuusuke winced. Demon or no, that HAD to hurt. The demon's head lifted and he yelled at the girl still standing there.   
  
" What the hell are you doing?"   
  
The girl looked over her shoulder at the demon. " Would you wait a minute? Coming through the well from MY side doesn't mean everyone coming through is a threat!"   
  
" You're too trusting!"   
  
" Well, you're too paranoid!"   
  
" Umm, excuse me?" Yuusuke waved his hands to get their attention but the verbal exchange suddenly escalated into a screaming match and they easily drowned out Yuusuke's shouts.   
  
Kuwabara watched the verbal battle in amusement. It was almost scary how much they sounded like a certain leader of his and his fiery girlfriend. Just then, the sound of a throat clearing came from behind him. Without thinking twice, Kuwabara's rei sword manifested and he pointed it behind him before turning his head.   
  
A young man with short dark hair and wearing blue robes stood calmly behind him, apparently unfazed by the glowing sword held near his throat. Kuwabara absently noted the rosary circling the wrist and hand of his right arm and then a sharp point appeared at his own throat. Turning his head, he saw a young woman dressed head to toe in a black and pink bodysuit with metal plating around her legs and forearms.   
  
" You will please remove your sword from Miroku's throat," she requested in a polite but firm voice. Her eyes were flat and hard and Kuwabara nearly flinched. Tough he may be, but he was still a teenager, and the woman before him had eyes far more ancient then someone of her apparent age should have. Kuwabara weighed his options quickly and decided that he would take the peaceful route. After all, the man - Miroku, apparently - had tried to alert him to his presence but his own jumpy nature had replied with 'sword first, talk later.' With a thought, the sword disappeared. As it did, the girl stepped back and Kuwabara saw what she had been holding to his throat.   
  
It looked like a large boomerang, with handles at the sides for easy carrying, and razor-edged ends.   
  
" Hiroikotsu."   
  
" Huh?" Kuwabara looked up from the weapon to meet the woman's eyes. They were a bit warmer now but still wary of any sudden moves.   
  
" My weapon is called the Hiroikotsu."   
  
" Cool," Kuwabara nodded. " Excuse me." He peered around the young woman to see Yuusuke sitting cross-legged on the ground, watching the girl and the demon scream at each other with a huge grin on his face. Kuwabara looked around, spotted a stone, picked it up and threw it at Yuusuke's head.   
  
" Oi! Urameshi!"   
  
Yuusuke growled and rubbed his head, turning to yell at him when he saw the two strangers. Kuwabara looked at him, pointed at the woman's huge weapon and then crossed his arms, glaring. Yuusuke put a hand behind his head as he gave a nervous laugh.   
  
" Ehehehehe...sorry Kuwabara."   
  
" I'll give you sorry," Kuwabara muttered. He turned to the man and woman and bowed. He caught the priest's eye. " Sorry about the sword, man."   
  
" Apology not necessary," the man chuckled. " I thought you knew I was there." He extended a hand. " My name is Miroku. This lovely young woman is Sango."   
  
The orange-haired shook his hand. " Kuwabara. That lunkhead is Yuusuke."   
  
Sango bowed her head in return. " I apologize also."   
  
Kuwabara waved her off. " I started it."   
  
Yuusuke grinned. " I didn't sense any danger so I didn't think to look up." He threw a glance over his shoulder at the two behind him who suddenly stopped yelling and had turned their backs on each other and were pouting. Yuusuke nearly snickered - the scary, snarling demon was actually pouting.   
  
" Oi, are they always like that?" he asked, pointing at them. Miroku and Sango exchanged similar looks of long-sufferance before nodding resignedly.   
  
" Yes."   
  
The girl suddenly remembered why she had stopped the fight in the first place and bounded over. Despite the pout still fixed firmly in place, the demon followed behind her, keeping an untrusting eye on the two newcomers. Yuusuke saw the protective stance he took up behind the girl and relaxed a little bit. THAT explained a little about why he was so hostile.   
  
The girl smiled. " Hi! My name is Kagome. This is Inuyasha. I'm sorry if he scared you - he hasn't had too many good experiences with strangers."   
  
Yuusuke grinned. " No problem." Then he blinked. " Did you say your name is Kagome?" He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out the picture from Koenma's files. Yep, that was her all right, and she confirmed it with a surprised look.   
  
" Where did you get that?" she asked, pointing at the picture. Yuusuke put it away and sighed.   
  
" It's a long story," he admitted. " But we're here for an important reason. It has to do with a power sphere and an evil demon named Yakumo."   
  
" Power sphere?" Kagome wrinkled her nose. The name wasn't familiar to her. She looked at Inuyasha but the demon was still avoiding her gaze. " I'm sorry, I don't think--"   
  
" Wait, Urameshi. Koenma called it something different once, a sheika-something." Kuwabara squinted as he tried to recall the name. Kagome's eyes narrowed and Inuyasha's popped open, his muscles tensing.   
  
" You don't mean the Shikon no Tama, do you?" she asked carefully. Yuusuke looked relieved.   
  
" Yeah, that's it!" he grinned. " You ARE the one we were sent to help!"   
  
" Sent to help?" Miroku asked.   
  
" By who?" Inuyasha growled.   
  
Yuusuke sweated as the attention suddenly shifted to him. " Well...it's kind of a long story...."

**¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾**

There are two realms in the known Universe where life flourishes, growing and changing down an unending river of time. They exist, side-by-side, forever intertwined, unable to go on without the other.   
  
During the early Han Dynasty, there was a following of Han philosophers that believed in the theory of Yin and Yang. The theory divided into two opposite principles, or two principles, which oppose one another in their actions, known as the Yin and Yang. The symbol of the principles was the Tao, one circle, half white, half black, with a piece of itself in the opposite. Two sides of a coin. The dark and the light.   
  
On one side there is the lighter realm, the world of life, of joy, of birth and rebirth. Generation upon generation throughout the ages, thriving, growing, living and learning in a world where hope sprung eternal. Considered to be the Gods crowning achievement in creation, the Ningenki is the world of humans.   
  
But as with the Tao, there is a counter to the light. A harsher realm where demons roam freely, living and growing in their own right, but in a much crueller, colder, more dangerous fashion. It is a world of war, of battle and of treachery. It is a place where the strong survive and the weak are killed mercilessly. It is the darker part of the universe, a necessary evil to keep the balance on an even keel.   
  
The Makai had a lot of similarities to the Ningenkai. Demons told tales of their epic battles in bloody wars fought over territories over centuries. Tales of fights, of triumphs, of failures. And then there were the tales of legends. Of rogue demons, clan-less, serving no master but themselves. The stories mixed in with the strong stench of demon whiskey and were inhaled and absorbed over bloody carcasses that served as dinner. The most famous of them all was the legend of the Youko. 

'The Great Seducer' they cried as they slammed back heavy metal tankards of ale that would rip the roof of your mouth off without pause. 'The Greatest Thief of all time!' The Youko's praises were sung to the rafters by demons that alternately shivered with fear and awe at the mention of his name. He, who stole from the Gods themselves. He, whom no cage could hold. He, who sacrificed any and all to get to his goal and showed no remorse or regret for his actions. He was the merciless killer, the Cold-Blooded one. He was Kurama.   
  
The elder demons would down their drinks after toasting the greatest of them all, the rogue kitsune abandoned by his own clan, rising to ill fame. He lasted longer then any other demon when the Hunter was set after him. Hunters were notoriously stubborn and single-minded. Once given a mission, they would not stop until it was completed. They did not feel pain. They did not feel fear. All they knew was the hunt, and hunt they did.   
  
After eluding death for so long, it was only a matter of time before the Youko was brought to his knees, the old ones say sadly, shaking their heads and signalling for more ale. They lament not the loss of a demon, but the end of a glorious chase. Fearful they may be of who he is, but in the realm where survival of the fittest remains the only true rule, respect is always paid to those who deserve it, and there was no one more deserving then the Kurama. 

  
But while the greater population of the Makai mourn the loss of their shady hero, the truth of the matter is that Kurama did not perish that fateful day, at the hands of the Hunter. The Youko was a powerful kitsune, far more so then any of his brethren, possessing rare arcane knowledge unheard of by most of even the oldest youkai. Kurama sent his soul to the Ningenkai, the realm of the light and was reborn to a human woman. But our tale does not stop there.   
  
Kurama, now half-mortal, was given the heart of a human, and in his short life among man, learned how to laugh, how to smile, and how to live.   
  
He also learned how to love.   
  
Giving his heart away to the one he felt was most deserving of it, Kurama always keeps track of his possessions.   
  
And so, sixteen years after his rebirth into the light, the Youko is brought back and the chase has already begun.   
  
Kurama was on the hunt again.   
  
  
  
**¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾**  
  
  
  
A small, black-tipped nose poked its way through the lush foliage, nudging aside the small branches that concealed the creatures view. Before it, a huge structure lay directly ahead, all rock and mortar, with turrets and walls stretching up as high as he could see. Banners waved from the very tips, the colours flashing as they fell across the light's path. Armed guards strode back and forth across the walkways, patrolling the walls and keeping watch for any possible invaders. The heavy metal armour they wore kept a steady rhythmic clanking sound in time to their lengthy strides and the sound reached the loudest point as the guard reached the wall and peered over. The fox remained still, and seeing nothing, the guard then made an about-face and headed back the way he came.   
  
The nose disappeared for a minute, branches rustling. The broad flat leaves parted again, and a small silver fox crept slowly out from the bushes, keeping low to the ground. It's six tails, normally bushy and wagging in accordance with his moods, slid across the earth, barely touching the ground, scraping just enough to blur his footprints.   
  
The fox waited, biding its time until he saw the guards reach the end of the wall. When they did, they entered the end turrets to scan further distances through the huge lenses placed in the turret openings. They would take approximately ten seconds to conduct a full sweep of the horizon before exiting the turret and walking back along the wall. Kurama was nothing if not thorough when it came to his potential marks. The fox's muscles tensed, readying themselves in anticipation. The soldier entered the turret.   
  
NOW!   
  
Only a silver blur marked his passing as the fox leaped into the air, landing without sound at the foot of the moat. Streaking along the bottom, ducking in and out amongst the weeds fringing the edges, Kurama mentally counted down the seconds. With two to go, the kitsune breathed a soft sigh of relief as the lowered drawbridge came into sight. There were more guards posted along the top and several on land and the actual entrance into the castle was sealed by a steel grate, interwoven so tightly only a mouse could probably get through. The fox sniffed - he could smell wards, strong ones. He grinned mentally - it was nothing he couldn't avoid. Over the course of the years, Kurama had come across many inventive and tricky outer wards and very few proved to be of any real difficulty. The real problem was getting past the inner wards, designed to detect any strange ki that entered the castle.   
  
The fox batted a few rocks loose and used his ki to hit them even further away, tripping the far wards and alerting a few of the guards in that direction. He watched silently as they fanned out to search for whatever had set them off.   
  
The rest of the guards remained in place and Kurama nodded with satisfaction. At least there were only half of them now, which made things a bit more manageable. The kitsune took a deep breath and suppressed its ki completely, draining a bit of himself in the process. Then, before he lost his nerve, he threw himself upward and extended razor sharp claws, clinging to the underside of the drawbridge. Its tails quickly tucked up tight against its body and slowly, the fox began to crawl across the belly of the drawbridge.   
  
It was hard suppressing its ki so completely and concentrating on maintaining such a tight grip on the rotting wood but as the fox gave a quick glance downward to see the waters ripple ever so slightly as a dark shadow passed beneath him, he decided falling or letting his ki be detected was an even worse thing to bear and so the fox firmly fixed his eyes ahead of him again and moved on.   
  
Reaching the end, a strong power wave met him and the fox froze. A ward was under the bridge. Still, it was not unexpected. Extending his senses, the fox quickly determined it was a low-grade ward, mainly for frightening off Makai animals and youkai so weak they weren't even worth registering. The fox snorted in amusement and raised his ki to match the ward.   
  
It was a trick he'd picked up sometime ago and it only worked with wards designed to scare away rather then do any kind of damage. Matching the ward's power level, Kurama focused all of his energy into matching the signature. That took a little more effort, but eventually, his ki glowed with a faint orange tinge and the ward did nothing more then flicker faintly as he passed through it.   
  
There was a small grassy ledge directly beneath the drawbridge and the fox leaped to it, landing lightly and resting for a second. So far so good but cockiness was something to be avoided. Directly above was the gate and Kurama grinned.   
  
Sending a burst of power outwards, Kurama caused a couple of huge dead trees in the forest to fall with a might collapse. To the guards watching, it looked like something had knocked them over, but they were too busy looking around for something large enough to cause that to see the tiny vines wrapped around the massive trunks, slither away without a sound. Kurama peeked out and saw the guards had moved away the gate to watch their fellow guards race off into the forest. Holding his breath, Kurama focused.   
  
When he changed forms, from human, to half-kitsune to his actual fox form, he turned into a spirit for a few seconds. He was aware that his teammates thought it was mere theatrics and dramatics on his part to summon mist. He chuckled silently as he wondered what they would think if they knew it wasn't mist but his actual spirit they were seeing, a non-corporeal form that hid his transformation from the view of others. It was the same trick he'd pulled sixteen years ago to enter the human world, and subsequently, his chosen host. It also made it very easy to disappear on foggy nights.   
  
Still, maintaining his spirit form was extremely difficult and he moved quickly, slipping through one of the tiny holes in the gate and materializing directly behind the first solid object he could see; a large barrel. Shifting to fox-form, he again took a short breather to plan his next move. Deciding it was better to let the furor die down, seeing as how the castle's perimeter defences were now up in arms, the fox settled itself behind the barrel, curling up into a tight ball and lowering its ki even further. Closing his eyes, Kurama fell into a light sleep.   
  
Nearly an hour passed before the guards lost that battle-ready look, and Kurama came awake with a yawn. He unfurled himself and stood up, shaking his wiry frame to get the kinks out – it had been a while since he had last slept in his fox form. But his little rest had given him time to plan his next move, and he activated it that very moment.   
  
During his hour rest, the Makai sun had shifted in the sky, and now cast shadows across the courtyard. It was child's play for him to keep to the shadows that lined the courtyard, sprinting headlong into darkness and weaving in and out amongst the stray beams of light that nipped at his heels. Landing in the surprisingly well-kept flowerbeds that lined the ground in front of the main staircase, Kurama leaped up the hidden side of the stairs and slipped through the wooden doors as soon as the guard turned his head.

The large hall that greeted him was made of inlaid stone and marble. Richly brocaded carpets covered the hallway in intervals and Kurama masked his passage by leaping from one to the next, landing lightly. He kept to the shadows as much as possible, suppressing his ki to nearly impossible levels and freezing whenever he heard voices in the hallway. There were guards placed sporadically throughout the castle, and their positions changed every few hours, somewhat sporadically to break up the routine.

Kurama muffled a giggle as he leaped to the next carpet, his tail streaming behind him like a silver flag. He had thought his entry would have been a little more challenging. 

His target was soon directly ahead of him. The large metal doors were cracked open, suggesting a recent entry and Kurama slunk low to the ground, his belly fur dragging in a near silent whisper along the ground. He extended his senses, ever so gently, barely touching the auras within and verifying that the two life forces he'd expected were in there. He poked his nose in and looked.

Two figures. One sat in a large worn in chair, nothing like the ornamental throne he knew existed elsewhere in the castle. One metal hand held a crystal goblet as the person sipped in between bouts of conversation.

The other was standing, his back to the doorway Kurama was currently peeking out of as he spoke nonchalantly about various details regarding government and politics for the area.

Kurama wagged his tail in anticipation as he crept forward silently.

Three. Two. One…

" Hello, Kurama."

Kurama yelped as leaped to late, his surprise throwing him off kilter. A slender hand reached out and snagged him by his ruff, holding him up to eye level. A cold, emotionless face to anyone else, Kurama could see the barest of twinkles reflected in blood red eyes.

" Either you missed me or we have a mission," Hiei mused thoughtfully, still holding the squirming kitsune. " Knowing you, it's probably both."

Kurama twisted in his grip and suddenly planted his forepaws on Hiei's chest. Reaching up, he licked the fire demons nose and then plopped himself over his shoulder, lolling his tongue out a startled Mukuro. 

" You actually surprised me," Mukuro commented, eyeing the little fox with a look that could have been considered admiration. " Impressive." Hiei turned around and brought Kurama down to cradle him in his arms and Mukuro almost smirked at the site of her second-in-command scowling as he wiped the traces of Kurama's affection off his nose. " How did you know he was here?"

Hiei reddened slightly.

" I can always tell where Kurama is," he answered stiffly. Kurama wriggled and let out a small 'wuf'. Hiei glared at the silver animal. " Don't rub it in, Fox."

Mukuro shook her head as she finished the last of her wine. Watching the repressed fire demon interact with his Kitsune lover was vastly entertaining, but Kurama only showed up at her residence in emergencies. Otherwise, Hiei came to her domicile, tending to his duties as her heir without interference. It was an arrangement they found suited all three parties, and it must have been something indeed for Kurama to sneak by her entire security detail.

" Perhaps I should get you to train my soldiers in detecting intruders as slippery as you," she commented. Kurama winked a golden eye at her and suddenly leaped out of Hiei's arms. Landing lightly, the familiar mists enshrouded him as he transformed and Mukuro had to look up as the six foot silver kitsune appeared before her.

" My secrets are my own," he told her with a smile. " But a few pointers, I can deal with."

" Agreed," she dismissed the topic airily. " What do you require of my heir this time?"

Kurama stiffened. " Koenma as usual."

" I thought as much."

" What are you hiding, Fox?" Hiei cut in, noting the tenseness that had overtaken his lover's muscles. Kurama sent him a wry grin – it seemed he could hide _nothing_ from the diminutive fire demon. He sighed and folded his arms.

" Yakumo is back, and he's after the Power Sphere which has appeared in the past."

Hiei blinked.

" The Past?"

Kurama nodded and explained about pretty schoolgirls, time travelling wells, irritating dog demons, enchanted arrows and a broken Power Sphere. Mukuro's jaw dropped.

" Her arrow _shattered_ the Power Sphere?"

Kurama nodded. Hiei scowled blackly at him.

" What do you mean by 'pretty'?"

Kurama laughed and scooped up the fire baby, hugging him tightly. " You're too much, koibito." 

" I'll say," Mukuro muttered, still somewhat in shock. She looked at her embarrassed looking heir. " Go on then, Hiei – if Koenma has his facts in order, they will require your aid."

" If Koenma has his facts in order, the world will tilt on its axis and start spinning in the opposite direction," Hiei muttered, shoving the amorous kitsune aside. He thumped his fist against his chest in the obligatory salute to the Warlord and turned, striding out the door. He wasn't known for wasting time. With a predatory grin, Kurama melted into his fox form again, leaping onto Hiei's shoulder and nuzzling his hair. Mukuro shook her head as she listened to her heir's complaints before the door shut behind them.

" Baka Fox! It hasn't been THAT long!" 

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	3. 3

Naraku took a deep breath, held it for a few seconds, and then let it out slowly. He was pleased to note that the small action had steadied the last of his rattled nerves, brought on by Yakumo's appearance earlier. Being in close contact with such unbelievable power, leashed by a temper a hundred time more volatile then his own, had scared him for the first time he could remember since giving himself to the demon horde that made him the demon he was today. It was a remarkable feat.   
  
Yakumo was a legend, a phenom over several millennia old. Naraku had never been to the legendary demon world, but he retained the memories and knowledge of the demons he used to make his current form, and it was no great secret that all demons loved to talk about the Makai like it was the demonic version of the Promised Land.   
  
The battle of Yakumo and his followers against Lord Enma and the Reikai was the stuff of legends. That Yakumo had found a way to breach the prison he'd been sealed in for so long was a great testament to his strength, which Naraku grudgingly admitted was far superior to his own. Yakumo could crush him without any real thought; such plans were not in Naraku's plans for the future. It was better to agree to follow the commands of the greatest demon commander of all time and hope to emerge unscathed in the end. He lifted his head.   
  
" Kagura!" he barked sharply. " Come here."   
  
" Naraku-sama." As usual, Kagura drawled his name in her insolent manner. Were she not as useful to him as she was, she would have been discarded long ago. Naraku watched his subordinate walk into the room, her blood-red eyes missing nothing as she did.   
  
Kagura, like her siblings Kanna, Juuroumaru and Kageroumaro, were merely extensions of himself, given life through the power of the Shikon shards he had collected. While Kagura at times had a will of her own, she nonetheless still obeyed his every word. Well, most of the time anyway.  
  
" I need you and Kanna to perform a little task for me," Naraku murmured, turning his head to stare out the window opening again. The winds had begun to gather outside, and dimly he could still feel the faint presence of Yakumo's aura. He shivered involuntarily.   
  
Kagura narrowed her eyes at her 'father', noting the stiff way he held himself in front of her. There was a disturbance in the air, one with which she was unfamiliar, and it unnerved her. " Naraku?"   
  
" You will take Kanna and retrieve Kagome for me," he said slowly. The clouds in the sky above his castle home were always darker then the surrounding area, but as if in response to his mood, they turned black, and a deep rumbling echoed across the valley. 

" You will bring her back here, unharmed."   
  
" Kidnap the priestess-witch?" Kagura repeated. " You've never wanted to go to such extremes before."   
  
" I don't recall asking for your opinion Kagura." Naraku opened his eyes and stared at her. His face remained placid, but his eyes were like white-hot flames, the rage at her questioning simmering in their depths. " I gave you a command. One that you would do well to obey." The flames seemed to rise. " Take Kanna and go, before I lose what remains of my control."   
  
Kagura swallowed hard. It was hardly a secret that she occasionally challenged Naraku's control over her. A part of her resented the fact that she owed her allegiance - no, her very existence to him, and she tested the reigns he held on a fairly regular basis. However, this was the first time he had ever looked at her in much the same manner as a spider would a trapped fly. It was the feeling of absolute control and power – it was her _master_. For the first time that she could remember, she felt a thin, cold trickle of fear creep up her spine. She bowed her head in a rare gesture of respect. " Yes, Naraku-sama."   
  
Naraku watched a cowed Kagura scuttle out of the room, her long robes swishing around her ankles as though the air that she controlled was reacting to her agitation. He let Kagura get away with a lot, in respect to the power she had, nearly enough to survive as her own separate entity. Still, with Yakumo giving out the orders for now, he had to be extremely careful. Shifts in power could change as quickly as the winds themselves. He turned back to the open gap and watched silently as the storm clouds suddenly opened up and the rain came pouring down. A fine mist covered him as he stared unblinking into the storm that covered just his own castle. He watched the slender form of Kagura floating off into the sky on her over-grown leaf, the smaller figure of Kanna curled next to her and a brief smile crossed his face. Kagura was probably cursing his name as the rain soaked her robes. Amusing.   
  
Then the moment passed and he sat back, with nothing to do but wait.   
  
  
¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾****

Hiei grumbled silently to himself as he followed his longhaired lover through the streets of Tokyo. If he had to be present in the Ningenkai he usually preferred roof hopping, leaping from tree to tree and concealing his presence. He had never been comfortable in this world.

Unfortunately for him, he had no idea where they were going and Kurama refused to tell him.

" How much further?" 

Kurama waved a hand airily. " Not too long now Hiei. The Higureshi Shrine is close by." He slanted a look at the smaller demon. " You should be able to sense the well fairly soon."

" We should be _through_ the bloody well by now," Hiei countered. " Come on Kitsune, I _know_ you can move faster then this!" 

" Maybe I like moonlit walks?"

Hiei snorted. Kurama, sensing his love's patience wearing thin, chuckled and upped his pace, easing into a relaxed, loping jog that ate up the pavement beneath him. Hiei snorted and matched him easily.

" Fox…"

" Yes dear?" 

Suddenly Kurama veered off to one side, cutting down a narrow side street that had appeared out of nowhere. His youki flared as he did so and Hiei watched as the crafty fox demon melted into the shadows and disappeared in the blink of an eye. 

" Damn it Kurama!"

Snarling about tricky foxes and suitable punishments, Hiei leaped into the closest tree, gaining a secure foothold before launching himself after the playful demon. _Honestly,_ he thought to himself in exasperation. _You'd never believe he's almost eight hundred years old!_

Leap, leap, check the footing, leap and leap again. The speed at which Hiei impacted each landing pad made it look like a formality to touch it rather then a necessity. A black blur was all the presence he showed as he zipped from one branch to another, barely rustling the leaves he touched.

A brief flash of silver alerted him to his lover's presence and Hiei rebounded off the roof of an older, bungalow-style house, landing on the ground in a crouch. Kurama shifted back into his human guise, silver hair retreating into thick red, golden eyes blinking and becoming a cat-like green.

" Fast enough for you?"

" Sarcasm doesn't suit you Fox."

Kurama grinned. Hiei peered up at the large structure they had stopped in front of. Not pretending to be an expert in all things human, he nonetheless knew what a shrine looked like thanks to Genkai. This was obviously one of the older shrines, the warped wooden fence looking like it could have dated all the way back to the feudal age. Which, Hiei supposed, could very well be, if the information they'd been given was correct. He waited for Kurama to go up the stairs first. Kurama did so, sweeping by and winking at him flirtatiously as he did so.

" And they say chivalry is dead."

" Just move, Fox." Hiei counted to ten in his head. It really wouldn't do to kill Kurama before the mission. 

Kurama scampered past the Jaganshi and through the old doors that creaked ominously as they were pushed to the side. Inside the shrine, it was dark and musty-smelling, the air obviously stale even though from the reports he had looked over, he knew that Kagome had fairly regular traffic, both human and paranormal coming through the well on a regular basis. _The demons equivalent of a bus terminal,_ he snickered mentally.

At the bottom of the stairs was the famous well. It was covered with a broken slab of wood with what looked to be the remains of paper wards plastered all over it. Sliding down the stair railings, Kurama ran one slender finger across the dried ink and shook his head. Pitiful. Someone had actually thought these scraps of paper would have done some good? Still there was no harm in trying, he supposed.

Hiei was shifting the heavy cover to one side, the broken slab splintering off as he pushed it to the ground leaving the well completely uncovered. They both stared into its depth.

" Kinda disappointing," Hiei commented. " Most portals don't look this dingy. " He peered closer and his red-tinged eyes narrowed slightly. " Are those bones down there?"

" It is called the Bone-Eaters Well for a reason," Kurama reminded his shorter partner. Placing his hands on the rim, the Kitsune winked at Hiei and then flung himself down. Hiei snorted and watched as the bottom seemed to disappear, and Kurama sank through, disappearing with one last jaunty wave. Heaving a sigh, Hiei checked to make sure his sword was securely fastened and then flung himself over the lip after his lover.

He had the distinct feeling of falling, being surrounded by a blackness that was suddenly eclipsed by lights that reminded him briefly of the phenomenon he'd once seen that Kurama had called the 'Northern Lights'. It was odd but Hiei had never been one to panic easily and besides, the colors were nice. Suddenly, ground appeared below him and he landed in a crouch. He blinked as he took in the surrounding walls. They looked exactly the same. _A little newer_, he amended, noting the severe lack of warping and wood rot that he'd seen before. Peering upwards he saw the familiar blue of the sky instead of the worn roof of an old shrine, and Kurama's cloak-covered head peering down at him with an impish smile.

" Coming?"

Hiei grunted and blurred slightly, disappearing from the well's bottom to stand on the ledge, taking in his surroundings.

" From the records, I thought we'd be transported to the Makai," he commented idly. His ears twitched as a bird sang from a nearby treetop. 

" It's a time portal Hiei," Kurama reminded him. " This is the feudal era of Japan."

" Where do we go from here?"

" Now, we find Yuusuke and Kuwabara." Kurama held up a small compass with two glowing lights on it. " This will lead us to them."

He tossed the small object to Hiei who caught it and studied it with interest.

" Botan gave you this?"

" Right before we left."

Hiei grinned, his fangs flashing in the light. " She actually came in handy?"

" And Koenma actually gave us the right information."

" I think the world must be coming to an end."

" Good thing I made up my will."

Hiei let out a rare chuckle. " Let's go Fox. I lead this time." He eyed his lover mischievously. " Try and keep up if you can, okay?"

Kurama arched an eyebrow. " Is that a challenge?" His eyes glittered with amusement and anticipation. " What do I get if I win?"

Hiei blurred again, this time reappearing on a sturdy branch about twenty feet ahead of the kitsune. His arms were crossed as he leaned against the trunk in a deceptively casual pose as he smirked down at Kurama.

" I guess you'll have to catch me to find out," he teased. Then he disappeared. Kurama let out a short bark of laughter and transformed into his four-footed form, before racing after him.

¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾

Yuusuke yawned. Even though it was still light out, it was rather late in the day. The initial thrill of seeing the old village and meeting Kaede and the other people of that time had worn off quickly and boredom had quickly set in. Both he and Kuwabara had never had exceptionally long attention spans. 

Yuusuke was more of an active person and lying around didn't improve matters. Still, there was nothing to be done until Hiei and Kurama arrived. Their past track record in battle had proven that it was best to wait for a full team, especially when dealing with unknown factors. He just hoped they would arrive soon.

Kuwabara however, was managing to entertain himself just fine with some of the local village women who kept bringing baskets of fresh fruits and vegetables for him to sample before leaving, giggling amongst themselves. Kagome and Sango were chatting with him, Kagome wanting to know more about him and Yuusuke and what their roles were. 

" I only know of your reputations," she told Kuwabara who blushed and scratched his head in embarrassment. " They are obviously not the whole truth."

Yuusuke chuckled and closed his eyes. Inuyasha was off scouting the forest for renegade demons that might try and steal the Shikon shards Kagome kept in a small bottle tied around her neck. Apparently this was a frequent occurrence. Miroku had gone off to do the same, reinforcing wards he had taken to leaving around the village when the group had to leave and were unable to protect it themselves.

Then he felt a familiar presence touch his own awareness and he grinned, opening his eyes. Across from him, Kuwabara looked up and mimicked his expression. Kagome frowned.

" What's going on?"

" Nothing to worry about," Kuwabara said airily. " Our friends are about to make an appearance, that's all. They're not too far away now."

Miroku and Inuyasha re-entered the village and made their way over. Inuyasha folded his arms and inclined his head.

" Who's coming?"

" Our partners." Yuusuke stood up. " We should go meet them." He stopped. " Then again, with Kurama's nose and Hiei's tracking ability, they're probably almost here as it is."

As is summoned by his very words, two darkly-garbed figures appeared at the edges of the village. Their ki signature was instantly identified to Yuusuke and Kuwabara and their muscles relaxed from the 'ready mode' they automatically adopted, a result of years of battle that taught them to never let their guard down.

Shippo, on the other hand, suddenly bolted upright on Kagome's shoulder, staring ahead at the two newcomers with eyes as wide as saucers. His fur stood on end as he sniffed reflexively. From this distance, he knew one of them was a kitsune even if he couldn't tell which one yet. Though he'd been away from any trace of his kind for some time now, the scent of kitsune was unmistakeable.

Then the wind shifted just a touch, and the scent came at him stronger – from the right side.

The two moved closer, the taller figure's arm raised in greeting. Then the tall one stopped – and stared directly at Shippo. All Shippo could see beneath the dark cloak was a slight grin curving up into that splash of pale skin. He had the distinct feeling the strange kitsune was just as shocked – or at the very least, surprised – by him as he was.

Then the scent triggered a wave within him and memories suddenly flashed over his shell-shocked mind. His tail stiffened into a bushel of wiry bristles much like a spitting cat. The scent was familiar, from a time long ago, from someone he'd met maybe once, maybe twice when he was a wee kit, still being carried place to place securely in his mother's capable jaws. He _knew_ this kitsune.

Shippo stared openly at the cloaked figure in front of him. He couldn't help himself - it had been such a long time since he had seen one of his own kind, let alone this one in particular. He trembled visibly, unable to take his eyes off the newcomer. Kagome blinked as she felt his weight on her shoulder shift in a fit of nervous energy.  
  
Inuyasha noticed the young kit's barely-contained excitement and turned and stared at the kitsune. Something about him had set Shippo off - whether in a good way or bad way remained to be seen. There was something bothering him too, something he should know. He hated getting half-flashes of memory, knowing there was something important but unable to pinpoint what exactly. Golden eyes narrowed, focusing on the figure, the scent of kitsune.

Their newfound allies had a different response. Inuyasha started as Kuwabara lumbered to his feet, waving a friendly greeting.   
  
Yuusuke jumped up at the arrival of the two demons. " Oi! Hiei! Kurama! Glad you could make it!"   
  
Kurama?   
  
Lightening ripped through Inuyasha's skull and his body was in motion before he knew it, snarling, his sword already unsheathed and singing, eager for blood as he lunged towards the cloak-clad kitsune before anyone could say anything much less stop him.  Finely honed reflexes snapped across his mind and he followed their orders, unhesitating. Tetsaiga swung unerringly towards his opponents face, anticipating the flow of life's blood across it's teeth-   
  
- when another blade blocked the strike, parrying Inuyasha's to one side and driving the massive sword into the ground. The weight of the combined swords knocked Inuyasha off-balance and he stumbled, swearing. A black shadow blurred away, taking its own sword away. 

Inuyasha snarled, regaining his balance, barely hearing the gasps behind him as he registered the fact that the kitsune was still standing, and Tetsaiga had been blocked. He yanked the sword free from the earth and fell back in a defensive crouch, snarling angrily at the audacity.

Across from him, blocking his path to the kitsune, stood the smaller demon, garbed in a cloak of shadowy blackness that matched his spiky hair, all save for the white starburst pattern at the forefront. A bandana covered his forehead and his red eyes glared furiously at the dog-demon with a ferocity that momentarily rocked Inuyasha.   
  
" Who dares?" Inuyasha growled, shifting his grip on Tetsaiga. One who could block the power of his sword was not one to be taken lightly.   
  
" I dare," the demon stated in a cool voice. The smooth tenor however, did not hide the steel tones coating the request. " Sheath your blade, mutt." His eyes looked vaguely amused. " Or lose it permanently.   
  
Inuyasha felt the hair on the back of his neck rise at the combination of familiar insult and implied threat and he snarled, his fingers twisting into claws along the handle. 

" Mutt, huh? " He laughed harshly, crouching down further, gathering himself for another attack. The newcomer was obviously fast, and he dared not take his eyes away.  
  


Kagome seemed to regain her voice.

" Inuyasha! Wait!"

  
" Hiei, back off!" Yuusuke suddenly lunged between the two combatants, arms outstretched. Shippo leaped from his perch as Kagome moved forward, laying a restraining hand on Inuyasha's shoulder.

" Kagome?"

" Please Inuyasha! Just wait a minute!" Kagome stared hard into the dog-demons eyes, willing him to step down for her. 

A battle waged war within Inuyasha momentarily. The urge to fight was still very strong, and his blood was still on fire from the combined assault of the insult from the stranger and the blocking of what should have been his first and final attack. Still, Kagome possessed a power over him that he found very hard to deny, and so with a muffled curse, he nodded tersely and relaxed his muscles fractionally. He wouldn't let go of his sword though and his hands flexed around the handle. Kagome shrugged – apparently that was as much as Inuyasha was going to accede. 

Yuusuke saw and nodded, breathing a sigh of relief that at least one of them was in control. He looked at the smaller demon - Hiei, Inuyasha made note of the name - and spoke with authority. " Inuyasha's not the enemy here. Put your sword away."   
  
" He drew first," Hiei said coldly. His own grip on his blade did not waver, nor did his position in front of Kurama. " When he backs down completely and we are sure he won't attack again, then I will lay down my blade. Not before."   
  
Yuusuke sighed in frustration and turned to look at Inuyasha who was eyeing them with a grim sort of anticipation, despite Kagome's touch. " Inuyasha, back off! Geez, what's up with you?"   
  
Kuwabara lumbered forward. " Oi, Urameshi! What's going on?" The red-haired boy sounded completely confused.  
  
" Inuyasha tried to attack Hiei and Kurama," began Yuusuke, when the half-demon cut him off with a snarl.   
  
" I was attacking Kurama, not the midget," he sneered. Yuusuke groaned as Hiei's eyes narrowed dangerously.   
  
" Midget?"   
  
" Enough Hiei," Kurama said finally. His smooth tone swept over the group and he gently placed a hand on Hiei's shoulder. At his touch, the demon lowered his weapon to his side, sliding it back into the sheath at his side. His eyes however, remained fixed on Inuyasha, silently daring the half-breed to try anything. Inuyasha met the silent challenge with a low growl of his own. Kurama sighed and stepped forward. His jacket hood slipped down, revealing bright red tresses that fell past his shoulders, framing his face. His green eyes seemed to pierce right through Inuyasha who gaped at the sight and then finally found his tongue.   
  
" What the HELL?? You smell of that damned cur Kurama but you're a human!" Confused and a little angry at his confusion, he slammed Tetsaiga home, shook off Kagome's hand and stalked over. Yuusuke, sensing Inuyasha's temper was somewhat partially restrained again, let him pass but fell in step beside him as he faced the red-haired boy. Hiei stiffened slightly but otherwise did not move, holding his place by the kitsune with a lethal glare that promised great pain if he tried anything. " Why do you smell like a kitsune?"   
  
" I think I've been insulted," Kurama said mildly. His eyes glinted with suppressed amusement. Sango and Miroku stifled small smiles. " Is that such a bad thing?"   
  
" Don't mock me human," Inuyasha growled. " Who are you?"   
  
" Well," Kurama smiled. " Since you asked me so politely. I am Shuuichi Minamino. Otherwise known as Youko Kurama." He pulled a strand of scarlet hair free from the rest, holding it up for their inspection. " This is my human form I took on, when I reincarnated myself in the human world to escape from death in the demon realm."   
  
" Reincarnation?" Sango looked at Miroku. " Not another one."   
  
Hiei raised one eyebrow suspiciously but refrained from speaking.  
  
Inuyasha took in Kurama's words and then clenched his fists into claws. " And what do you want from us Kitsune?" he spat out, eyes flashing fire. This couldn't bode well for them. Miroku blinked, sensing the turmoil overtaking the dog-demon.   
  
" Inuyasha. Do you know this youkai?"   
  
" Personally, no. Of him - hell yes! I don't think there's any demon alive who hasn't heard of the legendary thief and seducer, Youko Kurama."   
  
" Thief?" Miroku and Sango echoed.   
  
" Seducer?" Yuusuke and Kuwabara snickered. The two exchanged looks and then suddenly appeared on either side of the suddenly crimson-faced redhead. " Oi, Kurama! Anything you want to tell us?"

" Yeah," Kuwabara grinned. " At least I know why Michiko and Sayuki keep following you home at night. It all makes sense!"

Kurama bore their familiar teasing with a grace that spoke of years of practice. Kagome couldn't help but chuckle.  
  
Miroku stroked his chin thoughtfully as he went through his memories, thinking hard. The name seemed familiar for some reason but he couldn't quite place it. Maybe during one of his father's lessons years ago…

  
Hiei snorted and quickly turned and punched Kuwabara who hit the ground, still laughing. Yuusuke 'eeped and backed away, holding his hands in surrender.   
  
" Sorry, sorry!"   
  


The levity was irksome to say the least. Inuyasha couldn't quite contain the growl that burbled out of his chest. 

  
" So what does the legendary Kurama want here? Maybe to add the Shikon no Tama to your collection?" Inuyasha's fingers itched to pull out Tetsaiga. " You'll have to go through me first." His tone indicated that he was hoping Kurama would give him an excuse to start something.  
  
Kurama sighed. " I know exactly what I was like during this time period," he said tiredly. " But I am from nearly six hundred years in the future, and I assure you, I have changed quite a bit from the demon I used to be."   
  
Inuyasha blanched. Six hundred years in the future? That was troubling. He knew as well as anyone else that a demon's power - when not in possession of a Shikon shard of course - came with age. In _this_ feudal time period, Youko Kurama was already famously strong and one of the deadliest youkai alive. Adding on six hundred years of experience...To anyone watching they wouldn't have seen anything out of the ordinary, but Inuyasha's face paled ever so slightly.

Kurama watched him with a knowing look and decided to make it easier on him. " I am a Rekei no Tantei, here to do a job with my friends. I mean you and yours no harm."   
  
Yuusuke nodded, coming to stand beside the kitsune. " He's one of us, Inuyasha. Whatever you know of him now, you can't judge him by that."   
  
Sango suddenly left Miroku's side and walked up to Kurama, staring at him directly in the eyes. He watched calmly, waiting for her verdict. He wasn't a fool - he knew of the weapon she wore on her back, and what profession she was in. Sango closed her eyes for a minute, reaching out with her aura and her eyes snapped open. Inuyasha and Miroku tensed.   
  
" I feel no evil in him at all," she declared, stepping back with a satisfied look. " My training as a demon exterminator has given me an enhanced awareness about evil auras. If not for the kitsune-youkai overlap, I'd swear you were a human with exceptionally strong energy." She glanced back at her companions. " I trust him." 

Inuyasha growled, folding his arms. Kagome touched his arm again.

" Inuyasha, I can sense evil remember? Sango speaks the truth. Trust us." She looked him in the eyes, and Inuyasha felt some of his anger melt away in the face of her absolute faith. " Trust me." She let her hand stroke down his arm once in a reassuring manner and then stepped back, watching him carefully. When he didn't immediately tense up again, she smiled and nodded at Yuusuke.   
  
" Cool," Yuusuke grinned. Inuyasha snorted but relaxed a bit more. Hiei was still scowling, but Kurama squeezed his arm gently, whispering something the others couldn't hear. Hiei let the tension seep away and his hand fell away from the swords grip. Yuusuke clapped his hands together. " Okay, introductions. You already know Kurama. This is Hiei. A Koorime."   
  
" Impossible," Inuyasha waved his hand carelessly. He was still a bit relaxed from Kagome's obvious care for him in front of others. " The Koorime are a race of female ice demons. He looks like a male fire demon to me." He leered at the demon. 

" Unless you're hiding something other then your fear."   
  
Hiei snorted, refusing to rise to the bait. Whatever Kurama had said to him had taken away much of his eagerness to fight for such a stupid reason. Kuwabara intervened. " He's a half-Koorime. His father was a fire demon."   
  
" A half-breed?" Miroku asked innocently.   
  
This time Hiei's anger re-ignited with anger and he lunged forward with a snarl. Inuyasha stepped in front of the monk, prepared to draw when Kurama's voice cut through the air like a knife.   
  
" Hiei!"   
  
Hiei stopped in mid-swing and dropped to the ground. He looked at Kurama who wore a pleading expression on his human-like face and nodded once, before blurring suddenly and disappearing. Kurama watched him leave and then turned to Miroku, his eyes suddenly switching from gentle to rock hard.   
  
" You know not what you say, priest, which is why I stopped him. This time. Know that Hiei has had a very hard life because of who he is, and that to call him a half-breed is one of the biggest insults you can say to him. He is a full-demon, a very dangerous one, and you would do well to remember that. I may not be around next time." Those green eyes that were so human, suddenly had flecks of gold in them and Miroku could almost swear he saw silver strands streaking the red. 

" Understand?"   
  
" I do," Miroku said solemnly, unwilling to test the ire of the enigmatic youkai before him. " And I meant no disrespect. I will apologize to Hiei when he returns." He smiled disarmingly.  
  
Kurama studied the monk and his features softened at the sincerity of his words. Obviously, the monk had experience through Inuyasha in dealing with quick tempers. " Thank you."   
  
Yuusuke wiped his brow, cursing Koenma under his breath for getting them into this. The tension was so thick you could cut it with a dull butter knife and it was starting to feel suffocating. " I'm getting too old for this," he muttered and stomped back towards the camp. Kurama and Kuwabara exchanged amused looks and followed their grumbling leader to the fire, Miroku and Sango right behind him.   
  
Inuyasha stayed behind for a minute, going over Kurama's words. So Hiei was a half-breed like him. A full-demon but only half his kind.  Interesting. He spared a quick glance at the dark woods but couldn't detect a sign of the black-haired demon. Ah well. It wasn't his business. He turned and went back to the fire.   
  


  
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Shippo, sensing the heat was off for the moment, hopped back up on Kagome's shoulder, watching the group with wide, unblinking eyes. He had thought nothing would have kept Inuyasha from fighting but he'd underestimated Kagome's powerful influence. Kagome absently stroked his tail and he purred instinctively. There was so much to take in. 

He jumped down and crept closer to the fire, staring. The scent of kitsune was strong, and, having overheard the conversation, he marvelled at the thought of the famous Kurama being a human. It was mind-boggling! What kind of history did he have in the future, in Kagome's time? What he must have seen! His thoughts were then scattered to the four winds when the object of his attention suddenly sat down next to him, eyeing him in amusement.   
  
" And who have we here?"   
  


Yuusuke nudged Kuwabara and they grinned at the look of near hero-worship Shippo had on his face.

  
Shippo's eyes widened until they nearly engulfed his face. Fear warred with shock, but he knew from the conversation that Kurama wasn't the dangerous criminal he had heard tell of. Still, Shippo had heard many interesting bedtime stories of rogue Kitsune's when he was growing up with his mother and father, and it was hard for him to separate the two conflicting ideas he had of the legend sitting before him. Kurama saw the hesitation in his eyes and smiled reassuringly.   
  
" I guess you've heard of me huh? Or at least, who I used to be."   
  
Shippo nodded, eyes still wide. " My mother and father used to talk about you once in a while. You're famous!"   
  
Kurama chuckled softly but his eyes darkened. " My past is somewhat...less, then honourable."   
  
Shippo shrugged. The same could be said for most of their entire group. " So?"   
  
Kurama grinned. The naivety of youth was refreshing. " Who are you, young one?"   
  
Shippo couldn't explain it but he felt the urge to respond in the traditional way of the kitsune, a ritual he hadn't felt the need to do since the deaths of his parents. " I am Shippo, son of Tategame and Kegawa, of the Henka Clan." Shippo bowed his head, feeling a lingering sadness over the cruel deaths of his parents sweep over him as he performed the introduction as his mother had once instructed him. He never thought he'd have to give such a formal introduction ever again.   
  
Kurama nodded, having recognized the kits scent, even though for him, hundreds of years had passed. " I knew of your clan." He winked. " Young prince."   
  
Inuyasha, Sango and Miroku's jaws hit the ground. " Prince?!"   
  
Shippo blushed hotly. Kurama raised one finely sculpted eyebrow. " You didn't tell them?"   
  
" No," Shippo admitted quietly. " My clan was wiped out by hunters. Only my mother and father survived the onslaught of the Thunder Brothers who had suddenly developed a taste for kitsune flesh. They escaped only to die at their hands to save my life." His tiny hands clenched into fists. " As the only surviving member of the Clan, there is no use for titles. Therefore I did not give one." He raised his eyes. " Sango, Miroku, Kagome and Inuyasha are my friends. I wouldn't want them to call me that anyway."   
  
" Like we would," sniffed Inuyasha. Miroku absently batted the dog demon with his staff. " Hey!"   
  
" Behave, " the monk admonished. Inuyasha grumbled but kept quiet. He eyed the kit disbelievingly. The annoying little runt was a prince? _Well_, he supposed. _Stranger things have happened_. 

Shippo had always been a part of the group, the first to join. Inuyasha knew a little of the kit's history, having seen a portion of it for himself when he battled the Thunder Brothers. Inuyasha winced as he recalled the shock and horror in Shippo's eyes when he saw the fur pelt of his father wrapped around the waist of his killer. Still, once Hiten and Manten had been destroyed, Shippo had seemed to bounce back with the resiliency of youth and no more had been said on the matter. Kagome had been instrumental in those times, even now, taking upon herself the role of 'mother' and as much as he hated to admit it, Shippo, for all their arguing, had cast him into the role of 'father'. Not that he did a very good job, he reflected. Mentally, Inuyasha resolved to speak to Shippo more about his heritage. Obviously there was a story here that needed telling.   
  
Kurama smiled sadly at Shippo as his own recollection of the past returned to him. He looked the kit over, seeing Shippo's parents in the kit's colouring, and his eyes were an exact replica of Kegawa's. " I knew your parents, youngling. Your mother Kegawa, was a beautiful auburn, a gentle creature. Your father was very wealthy too, wasn't he?" His eyes darkened. " I was in the Makai when your tribe was first attacked. I didn't even know you're parents had originally survived with you in tow. They were…very kind to me, once."  
  
" Yes," Shippo breathed, his eyes wide. " You knew my parents? My mother? Father?"   
  
" As you know, I was a great thief," Kurama murmured, smiling faintly. " I made it a point to know of wealth of any kind, even among my own."   
  


Miroku had a distinct feeling he knew what kind of 'kindness' Kurama had referred to. He could relate and he muffled a smile. Sango groaned silently and smacked his arm.

  
Shippo nodded. It made sense. " What clan do you belong to?"   
  
" I am Youko Kurama, of no clan now, but I suppose once it could have been called the Ueru Clan."   
  
Shippo's eyes widened again. " Really? But I thought the Ueru Clan was a legend. Kitsune are shape-shifters, masters of illusion. I thought the ability to manipulate nature wasn't real!"   
  
Kurama smiled sadly. " There is much of our history that is lost, even now in this time, small one."   
  


Kagome looked confused. " What is your power, Kurama-san?"   
  
" Please, call me Kurama. And I am a plant wielder." To demonstrate, he reached into his hair and withdrew a seed from some hidden space only he could define. Placing it the palm of his hand, Shippo, Kagome, Sango and Miroku watched in amazement as a bright red glow emanated from the seed, and it sprouted, leaves and vines suddenly trailing over the red-heads hand, and a large red rose bloomed before their very eyes.   
  
" Wow!" Shippo breathed, eyes alight with excitement. " What a cool ability!"   
  
" It almost looks real," Sango agreed. " How extraordinary!"   
  
" It is real," Kurama corrected her gently. " That is the power of the Ueru Clan - it isn't mere illusion."   
  
Miroku touched the petals gently and his eyes spoke volumes. " He speaks the truth."   
  
" Che." Inuyasha folded his arms and looked away, despite his awe at the power before them. " So what? "   
  
" Such a talent would be so helpful among the poor villages," Sango sighed. " They would never go hungry again." She nodded at Kurama. " You are very lucky."   
  
Kurama's eyes darkened a shade more. " In that respect, I would have to agree with you. But the price of being a silver is sometimes more then it is worth." He lay the flower at Sango's feet. " For you," he smiled. Then he rose to his feet. " And now, I'll retrieve Hiei. You can all go to sleep if you like - we will take the first watch."   
  
" Making decisions without your pet here to consent?" Inuyasha asked snidely. " You really have him on a leash." Kagome smacked his shoulder. "Oi!"  
  
Kurama turned and studied the dog-demon. After a few minutes of the scrutiny, Inuyasha felt uncomfortable under intensity of Kurama's jade-green eyes. " What?"   
  
" Inuyasha. I've heard of your name too." Kurama grinned, suddenly looking more like the human boy he wasn't, then the ancient demon he was. " You're almost as interesting as Hiei." With a wink, the kitsune-turned-human vanished into the night.   
  
Yuusuke looked from where the kitsune had vanished to where Sango was cradling the rose with a dreamy expression, and he snickered, nudging Kuwabara. " No matter what time period, eh Kuwabara?"   
  
The tow-headed boy grinned.   
  


~*~*~*~*   
  


  
Shippo watched Kurama disappear into the foliage. It was if the plants melted before his approach, slithering out of his way to allow him free and silent passage before covering his trail from prying eyes. A real silver kitsune. A true member of the Ueru. The Youko Kurama. His eyes watered. Kurama had known his parents.   
  
It was hard, remembering them. While having a maturity and attitude far greater then any normal kit, he was still just a child, and it hadn't been that long ago that his parents had been cruelly killed. He sniffled.   
  


Kagome noticed the depression that seemed to take root in Shippo and was about to go over to him when she noticed Inuyasha watching the kit, an unfathomable expression reflected in gold-brown eyes. She instead, stepped back and went back to where Sango was still cradling the flower Kurama had given her.

Inuyasha sighed as he saw the forlorn expression on Shippo's face. Turning his head briefly, he watched Kagome leave and cursed inwardly. It was up to him to resolve this. He took a deep breath and then strode forward as though he were off to do battle to the death. Shippo blinked as the dog-demon approached and rubbed his shirtsleeve across his eyes.

  
" What's up with you, brat?" Inuyasha slumped down next to him. He eyed the kit uneasily. Tears from Kagome was something he could not tolerate - from anyone else, they still made him uncomfortable. He poked Shippo. " Hey!"   
  
" Leave me alone," Shippo sniffed again. Inuyasha sighed. Why Kagome had abandoned him to do this, he had no idea...he sighed again. The urge to get up and go get her and make her handle this nearly had him back on his feet but yet another sniffle from the kit made his heart twist in a way that was nerve-wracking. Since when did he start to care about the well being of anyone other then himself? Self-preservation used to be a finely honed skill of his and now here he was playing nursemaid to a baby fox-spirit.

What he really wanted to do was flex his claws on some unsuspecting youkai. Maybe that Hiei would be up for a fight.

He couldn't really explain it but his nerves were really on a razor edge. Something was wrong with the night and he wanted to get moving – the sooner he buried his claws in Naraku's throat, the sooner this itchy feeling he had would go away.

But he couldn't even find Naraku's scent to get a hint. All around him were the sounds and smells of hundreds of youkai. Since the destruction of the jewel, more and more had been crossing over. And now that this Yakumo had apparently arrived, it seemed that an entire army of youkai was gathering out there, just beyond the reach of his senses. _I don't like this,_ he thought to himself. 

Another sniff from Shippo drew his attention and he looked over to see the little kit curled up into a furry ball, trembling in the slight breeze that coasted through their campsite. Inuyasha muffled a curse and then gave in, gathering up the sleeping Shippo and wrapping part of his yukata around him before settling back. The kit's trembling slowly tapered off, and in the light of the moon, Inuyasha could see the trail of dried tears. Hearing Kurama speak of his family must have brought back some old memories, and despite his outward shows of dislike towards the kit and his apparent categorization as the parent, he couldn't help but think of him as a kind of younger brother, sent from the Kami himself to be Inuyasha's personal annoyance. 

He glanced around the campsite and saw Sango asleep; Kirara curled up next to her with Kagome using the fire-cat's tail as a pillow. Yuusuke and Kuwabara were sprawled across their futons, snoring loudly, while Miroku was...watching him. Inuyasha gulped and turned red and briefly thought of dumping the kit to the ground. Then Miroku grinned at him and curled up on the ground, under his blanket without saying a word. Inuyasha blinked, and then shrugged. 

Before closing his eyes, he took one last look at the surrounding tree line, wondering if the kitsune had found the freaky fire demon. His final thought, as Shippo snuggled in closer, was that he'd better wake up before Shippo did or he'd never hear the end of it.

End Chapter 3


End file.
